diff --git a/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c b/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
index d1ebdf9868bb..777e7a6a0292 100644
--- a/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
+++ b/kernel/rcu/rcuperf.c
@@ -61,11 +61,30 @@ MODULE_AUTHOR("Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>");
 #define VERBOSE_PERFOUT_ERRSTRING(s) \
 	do { if (verbose) pr_alert("%s" PERF_FLAG "!!! %s\n", perf_type, s); } while (0)
 
+/*
+ * The intended use cases for the nreaders and nwriters module parameters
+ * are as follows:
+ *
+ * 1.	Specify only the nr_cpus kernel boot parameter.  This will
+ *	set both nreaders and nwriters to the value specified by
+ *	nr_cpus for a mixed reader/writer test.
+ *
+ * 2.	Specify the nr_cpus kernel boot parameter, but set
+ *	rcuperf.nreaders to zero.  This will set nwriters to the
+ *	value specified by nr_cpus for an update-only test.
+ *
+ * 3.	Specify the nr_cpus kernel boot parameter, but set
+ *	rcuperf.nwriters to zero.  This will set nreaders to the
+ *	value specified by nr_cpus for a read-only test.
+ *
+ * Various other use cases may of course be specified.
+ */
+
 torture_param(bool, gp_async, false, "Use asynchronous GP wait primitives");
 torture_param(int, gp_async_max, 1000, "Max # outstanding waits per reader");
 torture_param(bool, gp_exp, false, "Use expedited GP wait primitives");
 torture_param(int, holdoff, 10, "Holdoff time before test start (s)");
-torture_param(int, nreaders, 0, "Number of RCU reader threads");
+torture_param(int, nreaders, -1, "Number of RCU reader threads");
 torture_param(int, nwriters, -1, "Number of RCU updater threads");
 torture_param(bool, shutdown, !IS_ENABLED(MODULE),
 	      "Shutdown at end of performance tests.");
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcuperf/ver_functions.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcuperf/ver_functions.sh
index b9603115d7c7..d36b8fd6f0fc 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcuperf/ver_functions.sh
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/rcutorture/configs/rcuperf/ver_functions.sh
@@ -20,32 +20,10 @@
 #
 # Authors: Paul E. McKenney <paulmck@linux.vnet.ibm.com>
 
-# rcuperf_param_nreaders bootparam-string
-#
-# Adds nreaders rcuperf module parameter if not already specified.
-rcuperf_param_nreaders () {
-	if ! echo "$1" | grep -q "rcuperf.nreaders"
-	then
-		echo rcuperf.nreaders=-1
-	fi
-}
-
-# rcuperf_param_nwriters bootparam-string
-#
-# Adds nwriters rcuperf module parameter if not already specified.
-rcuperf_param_nwriters () {
-	if ! echo "$1" | grep -q "rcuperf.nwriters"
-	then
-		echo rcuperf.nwriters=-1
-	fi
-}
-
 # per_version_boot_params bootparam-string config-file seconds
 #
 # Adds per-version torture-module parameters to kernels supporting them.
 per_version_boot_params () {
-	echo $1 `rcuperf_param_nreaders "$1"` \
-		`rcuperf_param_nwriters "$1"` \
-		rcuperf.shutdown=1 \
+	echo $1 rcuperf.shutdown=1 \
 		rcuperf.verbose=1
 }