diff --git a/docs/collectors/CPUCollector.md b/docs/collectors/CPUCollector.md
index a03911154..a49f7c386 100644
--- a/docs/collectors/CPUCollector.md
+++ b/docs/collectors/CPUCollector.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Setting | Default | Description | Type
 --------|---------|-------------|-----
 byte_unit | byte | Default numeric output(s) | str
 enabled | False | Enable collecting these metrics | bool
+extended | False | return aggregate CPU% metric and complex CPU metrics | str
 measure_collector_time | False | Collect the collector run time in ms | bool
 metrics_blacklist | None | Regex to match metrics to block. Mutually exclusive with metrics_whitelist | NoneType
 metrics_whitelist | None | Regex to match metrics to transmit. Mutually exclusive with metrics_blacklist | NoneType
@@ -33,4 +34,3 @@ servers.hostname.cpu.total.nice 0.0
 servers.hostname.cpu.total.system 0.2
 servers.hostname.cpu.total.user 0.4
 ```
-
diff --git a/src/collectors/cpu/cpu.py b/src/collectors/cpu/cpu.py
index fdb93f9ce..d30a0ed55 100644
--- a/src/collectors/cpu/cpu.py
+++ b/src/collectors/cpu/cpu.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ def get_default_config_help(self):
         config_help.update({
             'percore':  'Collect metrics per cpu core or just total',
             'simple':   'only return aggregate CPU% metric',
+            'extended':  'return aggregate CPU% metric and complex CPU metrics',
             'normalize': 'for cpu totals, divide by the number of CPUs',
         })
         return config_help
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ def get_default_config(self):
             'percore':  'True',
             'xenfix':   None,
             'simple':   'False',
+            'extended':  'False',
             'normalize': 'False',
         })
         return config
@@ -91,12 +93,16 @@ def cpu_delta_time(interval):
 
         if os.access(self.PROC, os.R_OK):
 
-            # If simple only return aggregate CPU% metric
-            if str_to_bool(self.config['simple']):
+            # If simple only return aggregate CPU% metric, unless extended is
+            # set (in which case return both)
+            if str_to_bool(self.config['simple']) or \
+                    str_to_bool(self.config['extended']):
                 dt = cpu_delta_time(self.INTERVAL)
                 cpuPct = 100 - (dt[len(dt) - 1] * 100.00 / sum(dt))
                 self.publish('percent', str('%.4f' % cpuPct))
-                return True
+                # Only return simple metrics, unless the `extended` flag is set
+                if not str_to_bool(self.config['extended']):
+                    return True
 
             results = {}
             # Open file
diff --git a/src/collectors/cpu/test/testcpu.py b/src/collectors/cpu/test/testcpu.py
index 44336e20b..f44268e3d 100644
--- a/src/collectors/cpu/test/testcpu.py
+++ b/src/collectors/cpu/test/testcpu.py
@@ -257,6 +257,106 @@ def test_should_work_psutil(self, psutil_mock, os_mock, publish_mock):
 
         self.assertPublishedMany(publish_mock, self.expected)
 
+
+class TestCPUCollectorSimple(CollectorTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.config = get_collector_config('CPUCollector', {
+            'interval': 10,
+            'normalize': False,
+            'simple': True,
+        })
+
+        self.collector = CPUCollector(self.config, None)
+
+    def test_import(self):
+        self.assertTrue(CPUCollector)
+
+    @patch.object(Collector, 'publish')
+    def test_produces_simple_percent(self, publish_mock):
+        # when the simple config option is set, we check the CPU values twice
+        # to calculate a delta, so we need two mock values
+        m = Mock()
+        patch_open = patch('__builtin__.open', m)
+        m.side_effect = [
+            StringIO('cpu 100 200 300 400 500 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 110 220 330 440 550 0 0 0 0 0'),
+        ]
+
+        patch_open.start()
+        self.collector.collect()
+        patch_open.stop()
+
+        self.assertPublishedMany(publish_mock, {})
+
+        m = Mock()
+        patch_open = patch('__builtin__.open', m)
+        m.side_effect = [
+            StringIO('cpu 110 220 330 440 550 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 120 230 340 450 560 0 0 0 0 0'),
+        ]
+
+        patch_open.start()
+        self.collector.collect()
+        patch_open.stop()
+
+        self.assertPublishedMany(publish_mock, {
+            'percent': 75.0
+        })
+
+
+class TestCPUCollectorExtended(CollectorTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.config = get_collector_config('CPUCollector', {
+            'interval': 10,
+            'normalize': False,
+            'extended': True,
+        })
+
+        self.collector = CPUCollector(self.config, None)
+
+    def test_import(self):
+        self.assertTrue(CPUCollector)
+
+    @patch.object(Collector, 'publish')
+    def test_produces_simple_and_complex(self, publish_mock):
+        # similar to above, we need three mock values: two for the simple
+        # metric (to calculate a delta), plus one more for the standard
+        # metrics
+        patch_open = patch('__builtin__.open', Mock(side_effect=[
+            StringIO('cpu 100 200 300 400 500 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 110 220 330 440 550 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 100 200 300 400 500 0 0 0 0 0'),
+        ]))
+
+        patch_open.start()
+        self.collector.collect()
+        patch_open.stop()
+
+        self.assertPublishedMany(publish_mock, {})
+
+        patch_open = patch('__builtin__.open', Mock(side_effect=[
+            StringIO('cpu 110 220 330 440 550 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 120 230 340 450 560 0 0 0 0 0'),
+            StringIO('cpu 110 220 330 440 550 0 0 0 0 0'),
+        ]))
+
+        patch_open.start()
+        self.collector.collect()
+        patch_open.stop()
+
+        # Since the `extended` config option is set, we should see both simple
+        # percent-only metrics, but also the standard metrics
+        self.assertPublishedMany(publish_mock, {
+            'total.user': 1.0,
+            'total.nice': 2.0,
+            'total.system': 3.0,
+            'total.idle': 4.0,
+            'percent': 75.0
+        })
+
+
 ##########################################################################
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()