diff --git a/src/backend/common/Workers.cpp b/src/backend/common/Workers.cpp
index 2cb4549b..eb348328 100644
--- a/src/backend/common/Workers.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/common/Workers.cpp
@@ -166,18 +166,7 @@ namespace xmrig {
 template<>
 xmrig::IWorker *xmrig::Workers<CpuLaunchData>::create(Thread<CpuLaunchData> *handle)
 {
-    const uint32_t intensity = static_cast<uint32_t>(handle->config().intensity);
-
-#   if defined(XMRIG_ALGO_RANDOMX) || defined(XMRIG_ALGO_CN_GPU)
-    if (intensity > handle->config().algorithm.maxIntensity()) {
-        LOG_WARN("CPU thread %zu warning: \"intensity %d not supported for %s algorithm\".", handle->index(), handle->config().intensity, handle->config().algorithm.shortName());
-
-        return new CpuWorker<1>(handle->index(), handle->config());
-    }
-#   endif
-
-
-    switch (intensity) {
+    switch (handle->config().intensity) {
     case 1:
         return new CpuWorker<1>(handle->index(), handle->config());
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.cpp
index a01f22a6..3916e7d2 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
  */
 
 
+#include <algorithm>
+
+
 #include "backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.h"
 #include "backend/cpu/CpuConfig.h"
 
@@ -33,10 +36,10 @@ xmrig::CpuLaunchData::CpuLaunchData(const Miner *miner, const Algorithm &algorit
     assembly(config.assembly()),
     hugePages(config.isHugePages()),
     hwAES(config.isHwAES()),
-    intensity(thread.intensity()),
     priority(config.priority()),
     affinity(thread.affinity()),
-    miner(miner)
+    miner(miner),
+    intensity(std::min<uint32_t>(thread.intensity(), algorithm.maxIntensity()))
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.h b/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.h
index bb18816a..92636bca 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.h
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuLaunchData.h
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ public:
     const Assembly assembly;
     const bool hugePages;
     const bool hwAES;
-    const int intensity;
     const int priority;
     const int64_t affinity;
     const Miner *miner;
+    const uint32_t intensity;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.cpp
index 7d7a9e85..660107fa 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.cpp
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@
 xmrig::CpuThread::CpuThread(const rapidjson::Value &value)
 {
     if (value.IsArray() && value.Size() >= 2) {
-        m_intensity = value[0].GetInt();
+        m_intensity = value[0].GetUint();
         m_affinity  = value[1].GetInt();
     }
     else if (value.IsInt()) {
-        m_intensity = -1;
+        m_intensity = 0;
         m_affinity  = value.GetInt();
     }
 }
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ xmrig::CpuThread::CpuThread(const rapidjson::Value &value)
 rapidjson::Value xmrig::CpuThread::toJSON(rapidjson::Document &doc) const
 {
     using namespace rapidjson;
-    if (m_intensity == -1) {
+    if (m_intensity == 0) {
         return Value(m_affinity);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.h b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.h
index 691ee114..a56c4bd3 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.h
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThread.h
@@ -36,14 +36,14 @@ class CpuThread
 {
 public:
     inline constexpr CpuThread() {}
-    inline constexpr CpuThread(int64_t affinity, int intensity) : m_intensity(intensity), m_affinity(affinity) {}
+    inline constexpr CpuThread(int64_t affinity, uint32_t intensity) : m_affinity(affinity), m_intensity(intensity) {}
 
     CpuThread(const rapidjson::Value &value);
 
     inline bool isEqual(const CpuThread &other) const       { return other.m_affinity == m_affinity && other.m_intensity == m_intensity; }
-    inline bool isValid() const                             { return m_intensity == -1 || (m_intensity >= 1 && m_intensity <= 5); }
-    inline int intensity() const                            { return m_intensity == -1 ? 1 : m_intensity; }
+    inline bool isValid() const                             { return m_intensity <= 5; }
     inline int64_t affinity() const                         { return m_affinity; }
+    inline uint32_t intensity() const                       { return m_intensity == 0 ? 1 : m_intensity; }
 
     inline bool operator!=(const CpuThread &other) const    { return !isEqual(other); }
     inline bool operator==(const CpuThread &other) const    { return isEqual(other); }
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ public:
     rapidjson::Value toJSON(rapidjson::Document &doc) const;
 
 private:
-    int m_intensity     = -1;
-    int64_t m_affinity  = -1;
+    int64_t m_affinity   = -1;
+    uint32_t m_intensity = 0;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.cpp
index 07e8ca33..5bd9cca9 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ xmrig::CpuThreads::CpuThreads(const rapidjson::Value &value)
         }
     }
     else if (value.IsObject()) {
-        int intensity        = Json::getInt(value, kIntensity, 1);
+        uint32_t intensity   = Json::getUint(value, kIntensity, 1);
         const size_t threads = std::min<unsigned>(Json::getUint(value, kThreads), 1024);
         m_affinity           = getAffinityMask(Json::getValue(value, kAffinity));
         m_format             = ObjectFormat;
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ xmrig::CpuThreads::CpuThreads(const rapidjson::Value &value)
 }
 
 
-xmrig::CpuThreads::CpuThreads(size_t count, int intensity)
+xmrig::CpuThreads::CpuThreads(size_t count, uint32_t intensity)
 {
     m_data.reserve(count);
 
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.h b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.h
index f8ad6430..13cd725f 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.h
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/CpuThreads.h
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ public:
     inline CpuThreads(size_t count) : m_data(count) {}
 
     CpuThreads(const rapidjson::Value &value);
-    CpuThreads(size_t count, int intensity);
+    CpuThreads(size_t count, uint32_t intensity);
 
     inline bool isEmpty() const                             { return m_data.empty(); }
     inline const std::vector<CpuThread> &data() const       { return m_data; }
     inline size_t count() const                             { return m_data.size(); }
     inline void add(CpuThread &&thread)                     { m_data.push_back(thread); }
-    inline void add(int64_t affinity, int intensity)        { add(CpuThread(affinity, intensity)); }
+    inline void add(int64_t affinity, uint32_t intensity)   { add(CpuThread(affinity, intensity)); }
     inline void reserve(size_t capacity)                    { m_data.reserve(capacity); }
 
     rapidjson::Value toJSON(rapidjson::Document &doc) const;
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/platform/AdvancedCpuInfo.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/platform/AdvancedCpuInfo.cpp
index de8ff272..26798895 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/platform/AdvancedCpuInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/platform/AdvancedCpuInfo.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ xmrig::CpuThreads xmrig::AdvancedCpuInfo::threads(const Algorithm &algorithm) co
         count = threads() / 2;
     }
 
-    int intensity = algorithm.maxIntensity() == 1 ? -1 : 1;
+    uint32_t intensity = algorithm.maxIntensity() == 1 ? 0 : 1;
 
 #   ifdef XMRIG_ALGO_CN_PICO
     if (algorithm == Algorithm::CN_PICO_0 && (count / cores()) >= 2) {
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/platform/BasicCpuInfo.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/platform/BasicCpuInfo.cpp
index 7df8fb71..15ac8f40 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/platform/BasicCpuInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/platform/BasicCpuInfo.cpp
@@ -221,5 +221,11 @@ xmrig::CpuThreads xmrig::BasicCpuInfo::threads(const Algorithm &algorithm) const
     }
 #   endif
 
+#   ifdef XMRIG_ALGO_ARGON2
+    if (algorithm.family() == Algorithm::ARGON2) {
+        return count;
+    }
+#   endif
+
     return CpuThreads(std::max<size_t>(count / 2, 1), 1);
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/cpu/platform/HwlocCpuInfo.cpp b/src/backend/cpu/platform/HwlocCpuInfo.cpp
index 7da99787..9e503742 100644
--- a/src/backend/cpu/platform/HwlocCpuInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/backend/cpu/platform/HwlocCpuInfo.cpp
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ void xmrig::HwlocCpuInfo::processTopLevelCache(hwloc_obj_t cache, const Algorith
     int L2_associativity    = 0;
     size_t extra            = 0;
     const size_t scratchpad = algorithm.l3();
-    int intensity           = algorithm.maxIntensity() == 1 ? -1 : 1;
+    uint32_t intensity      = algorithm.maxIntensity() == 1 ? 0 : 1;
 
     if (cache->attr->cache.depth == 3) {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < cache->arity; ++i) {