diff --git a/.github/workflows/03-macos-linux-build.yml b/.github/workflows/03-macos-linux-build.yml
index 1dd1e45c..652375e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/03-macos-linux-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/03-macos-linux-build.yml
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ jobs:
             cmake==3.30.0 \
             ninja==1.11.1 \
             pytest \
+            pytest-xdist \
             scikit-build-core \
             setuptools_scm
         shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/05-windows-build.yml b/.github/workflows/05-windows-build.yml
index 9922e037..0db11c20 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/05-windows-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/05-windows-build.yml
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ jobs:
             cmake==3.30.0 `
             ninja==1.11.1 `
             pytest `
+            pytest-xdist `
             scikit-build-core `
             setuptools_scm
         shell: powershell
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly_coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly_coverage.yml
index 1279496b..458044db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly_coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly_coverage.yml
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ jobs:
             ninja==1.11.1 \
             pytest \
             pytest-cov \
+            pytest-xdist \
             scikit-build-core \
             setuptools_scm
         shell: bash
diff --git a/cmake/bazel.cmake b/cmake/bazel.cmake
index 262f721b..95d40e99 100644
--- a/cmake/bazel.cmake
+++ b/cmake/bazel.cmake
@@ -318,10 +318,17 @@ if(NOT TARGET unittest)
     # iOS: build-only target; tests are run on simulator separately
     add_custom_target(unittest)
   else()
+    include(ProcessorCount)
+    ProcessorCount(NPROC)
+    if(NPROC EQUAL 0)
+      set(NPROC 1)
+    endif()
+    math(EXPR PARALLEL_JOBS "(${NPROC} + 1) / 2")
     add_custom_target(
         unittest
         COMMAND ${CMAKE_CTEST_COMMAND} --output-on-failure
         --build-config $<CONFIGURATION>
+        --parallel ${PARALLEL_JOBS}
       )
   endif()
 endif()
@@ -1110,16 +1117,18 @@ function(cc_test)
       "${CC_ARGS_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS}"
     )
   add_dependencies(unittest ${CC_ARGS_NAME})
+  set(TEST_WORKING_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/test_tmp/${CC_ARGS_NAME}")
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${TEST_WORKING_DIR}")
   add_custom_target(
       unittest.${CC_ARGS_NAME}
       COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${CC_ARGS_NAME}> "${CC_ARGS_ARGS}"
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${TEST_WORKING_DIR}
       DEPENDS ${CC_ARGS_NAME}
     )
   add_test(
       NAME ${CC_ARGS_NAME}
       COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${CC_ARGS_NAME}> "${CC_ARGS_ARGS}"
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${TEST_WORKING_DIR}
     )
 endfunction()
 
@@ -1925,16 +1934,18 @@ function(cuda_test)
       "${CUDA_ARGS_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS}"
     )
   add_dependencies(unittest ${CUDA_ARGS_NAME})
+  set(TEST_WORKING_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/test_tmp/${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}")
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${TEST_WORKING_DIR}")
   add_custom_target(
       unittest.${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}
       COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}> "${CUDA_ARGS_ARGS}"
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${TEST_WORKING_DIR}
       DEPENDS ${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}
     )
   add_test(
       NAME ${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}
       COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${CUDA_ARGS_NAME}> "${CUDA_ARGS_ARGS}"
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${TEST_WORKING_DIR}
     )
 endfunction()
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c7125a33..2b7908fe 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ test = [
     "pytest >=8.0",
     "pytest-cov >=4.1",
     "pytest-mock >=3.12",
+    "pytest-xdist >=3.5",
     "cibuildwheel == 3.4.0",
 ]
 docs = [
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ addopts = [
     "--strict-markers",
     "--strict-config",
     "--tb=short",
+    "-n=auto",
 ]
 xfail_strict = true
 log_cli_level = "INFO"
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@ build = [
     "cp314-*",
 ]
 build-frontend = "build"
-test-requires = ["pytest", "numpy"]
+test-requires = ["pytest", "pytest-xdist", "numpy"]
 test-command = "cd {project} && pytest python/tests -v --tb=short"
 build-verbosity = 1
 
diff --git a/tests/db/crash_recovery/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/db/crash_recovery/CMakeLists.txt
index f737b40d..7a872435 100644
--- a/tests/db/crash_recovery/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/db/crash_recovery/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -77,5 +77,8 @@ foreach(CC_SRCS ${ALL_TEST_SRCS})
     )
     add_dependencies(${CC_TARGET} data_generator)
     add_dependencies(${CC_TARGET} collection_optimizer)
+    set_tests_properties(${CC_TARGET} PROPERTIES
+        ENVIRONMENT "TEST_BINARY_DIR=${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}"
+    )
     cc_test_suite(zvec_crash_recovery ${CC_TARGET})
 endforeach()
diff --git a/tests/db/crash_recovery/optimize_recovery_test.cc b/tests/db/crash_recovery/optimize_recovery_test.cc
index 620c5dfc..a947809a 100644
--- a/tests/db/crash_recovery/optimize_recovery_test.cc
+++ b/tests/db/crash_recovery/optimize_recovery_test.cc
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ static std::string LocateOptimizeGenerator() {
   }
 #endif
 
+  const char *test_binary_dir = std::getenv("TEST_BINARY_DIR");
+  if (test_binary_dir != nullptr) {
+    candidates.push_back(std::string(test_binary_dir) + "/");
+    candidates.push_back(std::string(test_binary_dir) + "/bin/");
+  }
+
   for (auto &p : candidates) {
     p += base_name;
 #ifdef _WIN32
diff --git a/tests/db/crash_recovery/write_recovery_test.cc b/tests/db/crash_recovery/write_recovery_test.cc
index 6eed2e0f..fd47e379 100644
--- a/tests/db/crash_recovery/write_recovery_test.cc
+++ b/tests/db/crash_recovery/write_recovery_test.cc
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ static std::string LocateDataGenerator() {
   }
 #endif
 
+  const char *test_binary_dir = std::getenv("TEST_BINARY_DIR");
+  if (test_binary_dir != nullptr) {
+    candidates.push_back(std::string(test_binary_dir) + "/");
+    candidates.push_back(std::string(test_binary_dir) + "/bin/");
+  }
+
 
   for (auto &p : candidates) {
     p += base_name;