diff --git a/CONSOLE-RUNNER.md b/CONSOLE-RUNNER.md
index 754149eb46e6cbc4d67249566068fe9908be63e3..d3efe8cc202dcf64121bbc2f5dc68b7d7abc34b1 100644
--- a/CONSOLE-RUNNER.md
+++ b/CONSOLE-RUNNER.md
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ Name | Action
 -----|-------
 -h, --help | displays a brief help message
 --command=COMMAND | **required** command which invokes javascript engine to be tested
+-j, --workers-count | Number of tests to run in parallel (defaults to number of cores - 1)
 --tests=TESTS | path to the test suite; default is current directory
 --cat | don't execute tests, just print code that would be run
 --summary | generate a summary at end of execution
@@ -49,9 +50,9 @@ Name | Action
 --unmarked_default=MODE | mode to use for tests that are not marked **onlyStrict** or **noStrict** ; MODE can be `strict` or `non_strict` or `both`
 --logname=LOGNAME | write output to file (in addition to stdout)
 --junitname=JUNITNAME | write test results to file in JUnit XML format
---loglevel=LOGLEVEL | set log level, primarily useful for debugging `test262.py` 
+--loglevel=LOGLEVEL | set log level, primarily useful for debugging `test262.py`
 --print-handle=FUNC | enable async test logging via javascript function e.g., `console.log`
- 
+
 ### Usage Notes
 
 Non-option arguments are used as filters to match test names.  If no filters are found, the whole test suite is run.
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ The COMMAND argument can be a quoted string.  This is useful when testing ECMASc
 
 ```
 $ test262.py --command="node --harmony" es6
-``` 
+```
 
 #### Async Tests
 
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ JavaScriptCore<sup>2</sup> | jsc | print
 
 ***Notes:***
 1. As of 2014-Jul-23, SpiderMonkey does not support Promise in the `js` executable ([see bug 911216](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=911216) )
-2. As of 2014-Jul-23, JavaScriptCore does not support Promise in the `jsc` executable 
+2. As of 2014-Jul-23, JavaScriptCore does not support Promise in the `jsc` executable
 
 
 ### Troubleshooting
diff --git a/tools/packaging/test262.py b/tools/packaging/test262.py
index 921360a05eabf5e4104a1ec705fab2acaad8fc97..1192005fc9674c901933b312c3439e51efb21429 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/test262.py
+++ b/tools/packaging/test262.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import time
+import threading
 import xml.dom.minidom
 import datetime
 import shutil
@@ -54,6 +55,8 @@ EXCLUDE_LIST = [x.getAttribute("id") for x in EXCLUDE_LIST]
 def BuildOptions():
   result = optparse.OptionParser()
   result.add_option("--command", default=None, help="The command-line to run")
+  result.add_option("-j", "--workers-count", type=int, default=max(1, GetCPUCount() - 1),
+                    help="Number of tests to run in parallel (default %default)")
   result.add_option("--tests", default=path.abspath('.'),
                     help="Path to the tests")
   result.add_option("--cat", default=False, action="store_true",
@@ -92,6 +95,35 @@ def IsWindows():
   p = platform.system()
   return (p == 'Windows') or (p == 'Microsoft')
 
+def GetCPUCount():
+    """
+    Guess at a reasonable parallelism count to set as the default for the
+    current machine and run.
+    """
+    # Python 2.6+
+    try:
+        import multiprocessing
+        return multiprocessing.cpu_count()
+    except (ImportError, NotImplementedError):
+        pass
+
+    # POSIX
+    try:
+        res = int(os.sysconf('SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN'))
+        if res > 0:
+            return res
+    except (AttributeError, ValueError):
+        pass
+
+    # Windows
+    try:
+        res = int(os.environ['NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS'])
+        if res > 0:
+            return res
+    except (KeyError, ValueError):
+        pass
+
+    return 1
 
 class TempFile(object):
 
@@ -526,7 +558,7 @@ class TestSuite(object):
       print
       result.ReportOutcome(False)
 
-  def Run(self, command_template, tests, print_summary, full_summary, logname, junitfile):
+  def Run(self, command_template, tests, print_summary, full_summary, logname, junitfile, workers_count):
     if not "{{path}}" in command_template:
       command_template += " {{path}}"
     cases = self.EnumerateTests(tests)
@@ -551,16 +583,41 @@ class TestSuite(object):
           SkipCaseElement.append(SkipElement)
           TestSuiteElement.append(SkipCaseElement)
 
+    if workers_count > 1:
+      pool_sem = threading.Semaphore(workers_count)
+      log_lock = threading.Lock()
+    else:
+      log_lock = None
+
     for case in cases:
-      result = case.Run(command_template)
-      if junitfile:
-        TestCaseElement = result.XmlAssemble(result)
-        TestSuiteElement.append(TestCaseElement)
-        if case == cases[len(cases)-1]:
-             xmlj.ElementTree(TestSuitesElement).write(junitfile, "UTF-8")
-      if logname:
-        self.WriteLog(result)
-      progress.HasRun(result)
+      def exec_case():
+        result = case.Run(command_template)
+
+        try:
+          if workers_count > 1:
+            log_lock.acquire()
+
+          if junitfile:
+            TestCaseElement = result.XmlAssemble(result)
+            TestSuiteElement.append(TestCaseElement)
+            if case == cases[len(cases)-1]:
+                 xmlj.ElementTree(TestSuitesElement).write(junitfile, "UTF-8")
+          if logname:
+            self.WriteLog(result)
+        finally:
+          if workers_count > 1:
+            log_lock.release()
+
+        progress.HasRun(result)
+      if workers_count == 1:
+        exec_case()
+      else:
+        pool_sem.acquire()
+        threading.Thread(target=exec_case).start()
+        pool_sem.release()
+
+    if workers_count > 1:
+      log_lock.acquire()
 
     if print_summary:
       self.PrintSummary(progress, logname)
@@ -570,6 +627,10 @@ class TestSuite(object):
         print
         print "Use --full-summary to see output from failed tests"
     print
+
+    if workers_count > 1:
+      log_lock.release()
+
     return progress.failed
 
   def WriteLog(self, result):
@@ -634,7 +695,8 @@ def Main():
                           options.summary or options.full_summary,
                           options.full_summary,
                           options.logname,
-                          options.junitname)
+                          options.junitname,
+                          options.workers_count)
   return code
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':