diff --git a/src/App/Program.fs b/src/App/Program.fs
index e8fb0560..4e611305 100644
--- a/src/App/Program.fs
+++ b/src/App/Program.fs
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ type MissionOptions
     [<Option('k', "kubeconfig", HelpText = "Kubernetes config file", Required = false, Default = "~/.kube/config")>]
     member self.KubeConfig = kubeConfig
 
-    [<Option('n', "num-nodes", HelpText = "Number of nodes in config", Required = false, Default = 5)>]
+    [<Option('n', "num-nodes", HelpText = "Number of nodes in config", Required = false, Default = 3)>]
     member self.NumNodes = numNodes
 
     [<Option("debug", HelpText = "Log-partitions to set to 'debug' level")>]
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionBootAndSync.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionBootAndSync.fs
index c220dd21..9aa9c0cd 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionBootAndSync.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionBootAndSync.fs
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ open StellarFormation
 open StellarStatefulSets
 
 let bootAndSync (context: MissionContext) =
-    let coreSet = MakeLiveCoreSet "core" (CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image)
+    let coreSet =
+        MakeLiveCoreSet
+            "core"
+            { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes }
 
     context.Execute
         [ coreSet ]
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionDatabaseInplaceUpgrade.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionDatabaseInplaceUpgrade.fs
index 80eda899..09a2f81d 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionDatabaseInplaceUpgrade.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionDatabaseInplaceUpgrade.fs
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ let databaseInplaceUpgrade (context: MissionContext) =
     let quorumSet = CoreSetQuorum(CoreSetName("core"))
 
     let coreSet =
-        MakeLiveCoreSet "core" { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault newImage with quorumSet = quorumSet }
+        MakeLiveCoreSet
+            "core"
+            { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault newImage with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
+                  quorumSet = quorumSet }
 
     let beforeUpgradeCoreSet =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGeneration.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGeneration.fs
index e7a7d3e3..70482efb 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGeneration.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGeneration.fs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ let loadGeneration (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   dumpDatabase = false }
 
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithSpikes.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithSpikes.fs
index 090e7853..ca3b4696 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithSpikes.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithSpikes.fs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ let loadGenerationWithSpikes (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   dumpDatabase = false }
 
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithTxSetLimit.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithTxSetLimit.fs
index 4cae0d86..ea8a48f3 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithTxSetLimit.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionLoadGenerationWithTxSetLimit.fs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ let loadGenerationWithTxSetLimit (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   dumpDatabase = false
                   updateSorobanCosts = Some(true) }
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionProtocolUpgradeWithLoad.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionProtocolUpgradeWithLoad.fs
index dc13ce1c..096cf7eb 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionProtocolUpgradeWithLoad.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionProtocolUpgradeWithLoad.fs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ let protocolUpgradeWithLoad (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   dumpDatabase = false
                   updateSorobanCosts = Some(true)
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSimplePayment.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSimplePayment.fs
index 7b7c4d44..2472ba31 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSimplePayment.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSimplePayment.fs
@@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ open StellarFormation
 open StellarStatefulSets
 
 let simplePayment (context: MissionContext) =
-    let coreSet = MakeLiveCoreSet "core" (CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image)
+    let coreSet =
+        MakeLiveCoreSet
+            "core"
+            { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes }
 
     context.Execute
         [ coreSet ]
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanInvokeHostLoad.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanInvokeHostLoad.fs
index 660c4ce5..2c9de30c 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanInvokeHostLoad.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanInvokeHostLoad.fs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ let sorobanInvokeHostLoad (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   emptyDirType = DiskBackedEmptyDir
                   updateSorobanCosts = Some(true) }
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanLoadGeneration.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanLoadGeneration.fs
index 665ec235..899d6e92 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanLoadGeneration.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionSorobanLoadGeneration.fs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ let sorobanLoadGeneration (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   dumpDatabase = false }
 
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionUpgradeTxClusters.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionUpgradeTxClusters.fs
index 21b08b99..ca4a87e3 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionUpgradeTxClusters.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionUpgradeTxClusters.fs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ let upgradeTxClusters (context: MissionContext) =
         MakeLiveCoreSet
             "core"
             { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+                  nodeCount = context.numNodes
                   invariantChecks = AllInvariantsExceptEvents
                   emptyDirType = DiskBackedEmptyDir
                   updateSorobanCosts = Some(true) }
diff --git a/src/FSLibrary/MissionValidatorSetup.fs b/src/FSLibrary/MissionValidatorSetup.fs
index fa106f43..a3e19fff 100644
--- a/src/FSLibrary/MissionValidatorSetup.fs
+++ b/src/FSLibrary/MissionValidatorSetup.fs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ open StellarCoreHTTP
 let validatorSetup (context: MissionContext) =
     let opts =
         { CoreSetOptions.GetDefault context.image with
+              nodeCount = context.numNodes
               dbType = Postgres
               // Use disk-backed storage like production validators
               emptyDirType = DiskBackedEmptyDir