diff --git a/plugins/system/cpu.go b/plugins/system/cpu.go
index e942ccb5e1f1f..7114e2b9ad118 100644
--- a/plugins/system/cpu.go
+++ b/plugins/system/cpu.go
@@ -8,16 +8,27 @@ import (
 
 type CPUStats struct {
 	ps PS
+
+	PerCPU   bool `toml:"percpu"`
+	TotalCPU bool `toml:"totalcpu"`
 }
 
 func (_ *CPUStats) Description() string {
 	return "Read metrics about cpu usage"
 }
 
-func (_ *CPUStats) SampleConfig() string { return "" }
+var sampleConfig = `
+# Whether to report per-cpu stats or not
+percpu = true
+# Whether to report total system cpu stats or not
+totalcpu = true`
+
+func (_ *CPUStats) SampleConfig() string {
+	return sampleConfig
+}
 
 func (s *CPUStats) Gather(acc plugins.Accumulator) error {
-	times, err := s.ps.CPUTimes()
+	times, err := s.ps.CPUTimes(s.PerCPU, s.TotalCPU)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error getting CPU info: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/system/mock_PS.go b/plugins/system/mock_PS.go
index 17a4fc95059ca..86a3932b2ad0d 100644
--- a/plugins/system/mock_PS.go
+++ b/plugins/system/mock_PS.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (m *MockPS) LoadAvg() (*load.LoadAvgStat, error) {
 
 	return r0, r1
 }
-func (m *MockPS) CPUTimes() ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error) {
+func (m *MockPS) CPUTimes(perCPU, totalCPU bool) ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error) {
 	ret := m.Called()
 
 	r0 := ret.Get(0).([]cpu.CPUTimesStat)
diff --git a/plugins/system/ps.go b/plugins/system/ps.go
index 760f799caad19..687ccdf7e4e81 100644
--- a/plugins/system/ps.go
+++ b/plugins/system/ps.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ type DockerContainerStat struct {
 
 type PS interface {
 	LoadAvg() (*load.LoadAvgStat, error)
-	CPUTimes() ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error)
+	CPUTimes(perCPU, totalCPU bool) ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error)
 	DiskUsage() ([]*disk.DiskUsageStat, error)
 	NetIO() ([]net.NetIOCountersStat, error)
 	DiskIO() (map[string]disk.DiskIOCountersStat, error)
@@ -49,8 +49,23 @@ func (s *systemPS) LoadAvg() (*load.LoadAvgStat, error) {
 	return load.LoadAvg()
 }
 
-func (s *systemPS) CPUTimes() ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error) {
-	return cpu.CPUTimes(true)
+func (s *systemPS) CPUTimes(perCPU, totalCPU bool) ([]cpu.CPUTimesStat, error) {
+	var cpuTimes []cpu.CPUTimesStat
+	if perCPU {
+		if perCPUTimes, err := cpu.CPUTimes(true); err == nil {
+			cpuTimes = append(cpuTimes, perCPUTimes...)
+		} else {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	if totalCPU {
+		if totalCPUTimes, err := cpu.CPUTimes(false); err == nil {
+			cpuTimes = append(cpuTimes, totalCPUTimes...)
+		} else {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return cpuTimes, nil
 }
 
 func (s *systemPS) DiskUsage() ([]*disk.DiskUsageStat, error) {
diff --git a/plugins/system/ps/cpu/cpu_darwin.go b/plugins/system/ps/cpu/cpu_darwin.go
index c5c0ddc02e781..0c054d2ef2aa1 100644
--- a/plugins/system/ps/cpu/cpu_darwin.go
+++ b/plugins/system/ps/cpu/cpu_darwin.go
@@ -85,18 +85,11 @@ func perCPUTimes() ([]CPUTimesStat, error) {
 		}
 
 		c := CPUTimesStat{
-			CPU:       fmt.Sprintf("cpu%d", i),
-			User:      float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_USER]) / ClocksPerSec,
-			System:    float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_SYSTEM]) / ClocksPerSec,
-			Nice:      float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_NICE]) / ClocksPerSec,
-			Idle:      float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_IDLE]) / ClocksPerSec,
-			Iowait:    -1,
-			Irq:       -1,
-			Softirq:   -1,
-			Steal:     -1,
-			Guest:     -1,
-			GuestNice: -1,
-			Stolen:    -1,
+			CPU:    fmt.Sprintf("cpu%d", i),
+			User:   float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_USER]) / ClocksPerSec,
+			System: float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_SYSTEM]) / ClocksPerSec,
+			Nice:   float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_NICE]) / ClocksPerSec,
+			Idle:   float64(cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_IDLE]) / ClocksPerSec,
 		}
 
 		ret = append(ret, c)
@@ -119,18 +112,11 @@ func allCPUTimes() ([]CPUTimesStat, error) {
 	}
 
 	c := CPUTimesStat{
-		CPU:       "cpu-total",
-		User:      float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_USER]) / ClocksPerSec,
-		System:    float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_SYSTEM]) / ClocksPerSec,
-		Nice:      float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_NICE]) / ClocksPerSec,
-		Idle:      float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_IDLE]) / ClocksPerSec,
-		Iowait:    -1,
-		Irq:       -1,
-		Softirq:   -1,
-		Steal:     -1,
-		Guest:     -1,
-		GuestNice: -1,
-		Stolen:    -1,
+		CPU:    "cpu-total",
+		User:   float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_USER]) / ClocksPerSec,
+		System: float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_SYSTEM]) / ClocksPerSec,
+		Nice:   float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_NICE]) / ClocksPerSec,
+		Idle:   float64(cpuload.cpu_ticks[C.CPU_STATE_IDLE]) / ClocksPerSec,
 	}
 
 	return []CPUTimesStat{c}, nil
diff --git a/testdata/telegraf-agent.toml b/testdata/telegraf-agent.toml
index fd0221a4788fc..98037dc6ba0ce 100644
--- a/testdata/telegraf-agent.toml
+++ b/testdata/telegraf-agent.toml
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ database = "telegraf" # required.
 
 # Read metrics about cpu usage
 [cpu]
-  # no configuration
+totalcpu = true
+percpu = false
 
 # Read metrics about disk usage by mount point
 [disk]