diff --git a/test/conftest.py b/test/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85f1c9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import os
+
+try:
+    import xdist  # noqa: F401
+
+    # Otherwise we get unknown hook 'pytest_xdist_auto_num_workers'
+    def pytest_xdist_auto_num_workers(config):
+        return os.getenv("FDO_CI_CONCURRENT", None)
+
+except ImportError:
+    pass
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index d9c56d9..f1a9285 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ if build_oeffis
 endif
 pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: required_python_modules)
 pytest = find_program('pytest-3', 'pytest')
+pytest_args = ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG']
+
+optional_python_modules = ['xdist']
+if pymod.find_installation('python3', modules: optional_python_modules, required: false).found()
+    pytest_args += ['-n', 'auto']
+    configure_file(input: 'conftest.py', output: '@PLAINNAME@', copy: true)
+endif
 
 if build_oeffis
     test('unit-tests-oeffis',
@@ -57,7 +64,7 @@ if build_oeffis
     env = environment()
     env.set('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', meson.project_build_root())
     test('oeffis-pytest', pytest,
-        args: ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG'],
+        args: pytest_args,
         suite: 'python',
         workdir: meson.current_source_dir(),
         env: env,
@@ -132,7 +139,7 @@ configure_file(input: 'test_protocol.py',
                configuration: protocol_test_config)
 
 test('protocol-test', pytest,
-    args: ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG'],
+    args: pytest_args,
     suite: 'python',
     workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
 )
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ if valgrind.found()
     env = environment()
     env.set('LIBEI_USE_VALGRIND', '1')
     test('protocol-test-valgrind', pytest,
-        args: ['--verbose', '--log-level=DEBUG'],
+        args: pytest_args,
         suite: 'python',
         workdir: meson.project_build_root(),
         env: env