diff --git a/lib/src/exe/mod.rs b/lib/src/exe/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50052c98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/exe/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#![cfg(feature = "parallel")]
+
+use executor::{Executor, Task};
+use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
+use std::future::Future;
+use std::panic::catch_unwind;
+
+pub fn spawn<T: Send + 'static>(future: impl Future<Output = T> + Send + 'static) -> Task<T> {
+	static GLOBAL: Lazy<Executor<'_>> = Lazy::new(|| {
+		std::thread::spawn(|| {
+			catch_unwind(|| {
+				futures::executor::block_on(GLOBAL.run(futures::future::pending::<()>()))
+			})
+			.ok();
+		});
+		Executor::new()
+	});
+	GLOBAL.spawn(future)
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/fnc/mod.rs b/lib/src/fnc/mod.rs
index f3826756..529ddd64 100644
--- a/lib/src/fnc/mod.rs
+++ b/lib/src/fnc/mod.rs
@@ -25,21 +25,42 @@ pub mod util;
 
 /// Attempts to run any function.
 pub async fn run(ctx: &Context<'_>, name: &str, args: Vec<Value>) -> Result<Value, Error> {
+	// Wrappers return a function as opposed to a value so that the dispatch! method can always
+	// perform a function call.
+	#[cfg(feature = "parallel")]
+	fn cpu_intensive<R: Send + 'static>(
+		function: impl FnOnce() -> R + Send + 'static,
+	) -> impl FnOnce() -> executor::Task<R> {
+		|| crate::exe::spawn(async move { function() })
+	}
+
+	#[cfg(not(feature = "parallel"))]
+	fn cpu_intensive<R: Send + 'static>(
+		function: impl FnOnce() -> R + Send + 'static,
+	) -> impl FnOnce() -> std::future::Ready<R> {
+		|| std::future::ready(function())
+	}
+
 	macro_rules! dispatch {
-		($name: ident, $args: ident, $($function_name: literal => $($function_path: ident)::+ $(($ctx_arg: expr))* $(.$await:tt)*,)+) => {
+		($name: ident, $args: ident, $($function_name: literal => $(($wrapper: tt))* $($function_path: ident)::+ $(($ctx_arg: expr))* $(.$await:tt)*,)+) => {
 			{
 				match $name {
-					$($function_name => $($function_path)::+($($ctx_arg,)* args::FromArgs::from_args($name, $args)?)$(.$await)*,)+
+					$($function_name => {
+						let args = args::FromArgs::from_args($name, $args)?;
+						#[allow(clippy::redundant_closure_call)]
+						$($wrapper)*(|| $($function_path)::+($($ctx_arg,)* args))()$(.$await)*
+					},)+
 					_ => unreachable!()
 				}
 			}
-		}
+		};
 	}
 
 	// Each function is specified by its name (a string literal) followed by its path. The path
 	// may be followed by one parenthesized argument, e.g. ctx, which is passed to the function
 	// before the remainder of the arguments. The path may be followed by `.await` to signify that
-	// it is `async`.
+	// it is `async`. Finally, the path may be prefixed by a parenthesized wrapper function e.g.
+	// `cpu_intensive`.
 	dispatch!(
 		name,
 		args,
@@ -60,14 +81,14 @@ pub async fn run(ctx: &Context<'_>, name: &str, args: Vec<Value>) -> Result<Valu
 		"crypto::sha1" => crypto::sha1,
 		"crypto::sha256" => crypto::sha256,
 		"crypto::sha512" => crypto::sha512,
-		"crypto::argon2::compare" => crypto::argon2::cmp,
-		"crypto::argon2::generate" => crypto::argon2::gen,
-		"crypto::bcrypt::compare" => crypto::bcrypt::cmp,
-		"crypto::bcrypt::generate" => crypto::bcrypt::gen,
-		"crypto::pbkdf2::compare" => crypto::pbkdf2::cmp,
-		"crypto::pbkdf2::generate" => crypto::pbkdf2::gen,
-		"crypto::scrypt::compare" => crypto::scrypt::cmp,
-		"crypto::scrypt::generate" => crypto::scrypt::gen,
+		"crypto::argon2::compare" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::argon2::cmp.await,
+		"crypto::argon2::generate" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::argon2::gen.await,
+		"crypto::bcrypt::compare" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::bcrypt::cmp.await,
+		"crypto::bcrypt::generate" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::bcrypt::gen.await,
+		"crypto::pbkdf2::compare" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::pbkdf2::cmp.await,
+		"crypto::pbkdf2::generate" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::pbkdf2::gen.await,
+		"crypto::scrypt::compare" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::scrypt::cmp.await,
+		"crypto::scrypt::generate" => (cpu_intensive) crypto::scrypt::gen.await,
 		//
 		"geo::area" => geo::area,
 		"geo::bearing" => geo::bearing,
diff --git a/lib/src/lib.rs b/lib/src/lib.rs
index 0dda24a8..2da93b04 100644
--- a/lib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lib/src/lib.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ mod ctx;
 mod dbs;
 mod doc;
 mod err;
+mod exe;
 mod fnc;
 mod key;
 mod kvs;