diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index 8edd63291..596364cdc 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -6444,6 +6444,7 @@ static int jim_target_smp(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 	int i;
 	const char *targetname;
 	int retval, len;
+	static int smp_group = 1;
 	struct target *target = NULL;
 	struct target_list *head, *new;
 
@@ -6475,9 +6476,10 @@ static int jim_target_smp(Jim_Interp *interp, int argc, Jim_Obj *const *argv)
 	/*  now parse the list of cpu and put the target in smp mode*/
 	foreach_smp_target(head, lh) {
 		target = head->target;
-		target->smp = 1;
+		target->smp = smp_group;
 		target->smp_targets = lh;
 	}
+	smp_group++;
 
 	if (target && target->rtos)
 		retval = rtos_smp_init(target);
diff --git a/src/target/target.h b/src/target/target.h
index 1f1a35420..45ef96269 100644
--- a/src/target/target.h
+++ b/src/target/target.h
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ struct target {
 	bool rtos_auto_detect;				/* A flag that indicates that the RTOS has been specified as "auto"
 										 * and must be detected when symbols are offered */
 	struct backoff_timer backoff;
-	int smp;							/* add some target attributes for smp support */
+	int smp;							/* Unique non-zero number for each SMP group */
 	struct list_head *smp_targets;		/* list all targets in this smp group/cluster
 										 * The head of the list is shared between the
 										 * cluster, thus here there is a pointer */