diff --git a/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned.go b/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned.go
index ce56d0230..7d7f8ef4c 100644
--- a/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned.go
+++ b/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned.go
@@ -64,32 +64,28 @@ func NewNodePerformance(profile *performancev2.PerformanceProfile) (*tunedv1.Tun
 	templateArgs[templatePerformanceProfileName] = profile.Name
 
 	if profile.Spec.CPU.Isolated != nil {
-		templateArgs[templateIsolatedCpus] = string(*profile.Spec.CPU.Isolated)
-		if profile.Spec.CPU.BalanceIsolated != nil && !*profile.Spec.CPU.BalanceIsolated {
-			templateArgs[templateStaticIsolation] = strconv.FormatBool(true)
+		minifiedCpuSet, err := cpuset.Parse(string(*profile.Spec.CPU.Isolated))
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse isolated cpuset: %v", err)
 		}
+		templateArgs[templateIsolatedCpus] = minifiedCpuSet.String()
+		templateArgs[templateIsolatedCpuList] = minifiedCpuSet.List()
 	}
 
-	if profile.Spec.HardwareTuning != nil {
-		isolatedCpuSet, err := cpuset.Parse(string(*profile.Spec.CPU.Isolated))
+	if profile.Spec.CPU.Reserved != nil {
+		minifiedCpuSet, err := cpuset.Parse(string(*profile.Spec.CPU.Reserved))
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot parse reserved cpuset: %v", err)
 		}
-		isolatedCpuString := components.ListToString(isolatedCpuSet.List())
-		// converts a string to a string slice
-		isolatedCpuList := strings.SplitN(isolatedCpuString, ",", len(isolatedCpuString))
+		templateArgs[templateReservedCpuList] = minifiedCpuSet.List()
+	}
 
-		reservedSet, err := cpuset.Parse(string(*profile.Spec.CPU.Reserved))
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		reservedCpuString := components.ListToString(reservedSet.List())
-		// converts a string to a string slice
-		reservedCpuList := strings.SplitN(reservedCpuString, ",", len(reservedCpuString))
+	if profile.Spec.CPU.BalanceIsolated != nil && !*profile.Spec.CPU.BalanceIsolated {
+		templateArgs[templateStaticIsolation] = strconv.FormatBool(true)
+	}
 
+	if profile.Spec.HardwareTuning != nil {
 		templateArgs[templateHardwareTuning] = strconv.FormatBool(true)
-		templateArgs[templateIsolatedCpuList] = isolatedCpuList
-		templateArgs[templateReservedCpuList] = reservedCpuList
 		templateArgs[templateIsolatedCpuMaxFreq] = int(*profile.Spec.HardwareTuning.IsolatedCpuFreq)
 		templateArgs[templateReservedCpuMaxFreq] = int(*profile.Spec.HardwareTuning.ReservedCpuFreq)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned_test.go b/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned_test.go
index 47227d8d7..2b875dece 100644
--- a/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned_test.go
+++ b/pkg/performanceprofile/controller/performanceprofile/components/tuned/tuned_test.go
@@ -129,6 +129,21 @@ var _ = Describe("Tuned", func() {
 			Expect(bootLoaderSection.Key("cmdline_realtime_common").String()).To(Equal(cmdlineRealtimeCommon))
 		})
 
+		It("should normalize cpusets", func() {
+			test_profile := testutils.NewPerformanceProfile("test")
+			isolated_cpus := performancev2.CPUSet("10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28")
+			reserved_cpus := performancev2.CPUSet("11-15,19,18,17,16")
+
+			test_profile.Spec.CPU.Isolated = &isolated_cpus
+			test_profile.Spec.CPU.Reserved = &reserved_cpus
+
+			tunedData := getTunedStructuredData(test_profile, components.ProfileNamePerformance)
+			isolated, err := tunedData.GetSection("variables")
+			Expect(err).ToNot(HaveOccurred())
+
+			Expect(isolated.Key("isolated_cores").String()).To(Equal("1-10,21-28"))
+		})
+
 		Context("default profile default tuned", func() {
 			It("should [cpu] section in tuned", func() {
 				tunedData := getTunedStructuredData(profile, components.ProfileNamePerformance)