diff --git a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfig.java b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfig.java
index c2e4210181f..3ae33291adc 100644
--- a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfig.java
+++ b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/main/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfig.java
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ public class ProtocolConfig extends AbstractConfig {
     // thread pool
     private String threadpool;
 
+    // thread pool core thread size
+    private Integer corethreads;
+
     // thread pool size (fixed size)
     private Integer threads;
 
@@ -207,6 +210,14 @@ public void setThreadpool(String threadpool) {
         this.threadpool = threadpool;
     }
 
+    public Integer getCorethreads() {
+        return corethreads;
+    }
+
+    public void setCorethreads(Integer corethreads) {
+        this.corethreads = corethreads;
+    }
+
     public Integer getThreads() {
         return threads;
     }
diff --git a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/test/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfigTest.java b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/test/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfigTest.java
index 754525629e1..04c5a4315a4 100644
--- a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/test/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfigTest.java
+++ b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-api/src/test/java/org/apache/dubbo/config/ProtocolConfigTest.java
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@ public void testPath() throws Exception {
         assertThat(protocol.getContextpath(), equalTo("path"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCorethreads() throws Exception {
+        ProtocolConfig protocol = new ProtocolConfig();
+        protocol.setCorethreads(10);
+        assertThat(protocol.getCorethreads(), is(10));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testThreads() throws Exception {
         ProtocolConfig protocol = new ProtocolConfig();
diff --git a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-spring/src/main/resources/META-INF/dubbo.xsd b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-spring/src/main/resources/META-INF/dubbo.xsd
index a2cd6b99310..42132282212 100644
--- a/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-spring/src/main/resources/META-INF/dubbo.xsd
+++ b/dubbo-config/dubbo-config-spring/src/main/resources/META-INF/dubbo.xsd
@@ -789,6 +789,11 @@
                 <xsd:documentation><![CDATA[ The thread pool size. ]]></xsd:documentation>
             </xsd:annotation>
         </xsd:attribute>
+        <xsd:attribute name="corethreads" type="xsd:string" use="optional">
+            <xsd:annotation>
+                <xsd:documentation><![CDATA[ The thread pool core threads size. ]]></xsd:documentation>
+            </xsd:annotation>
+        </xsd:attribute>
         <xsd:attribute name="iothreads" type="xsd:string" use="optional">
             <xsd:annotation>
                 <xsd:documentation><![CDATA[ The IO thread pool size. ]]></xsd:documentation>