diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
index bf249f75..41bcab09 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
@@ -66,10 +66,15 @@
     (format "(when %s %s)" (second when-expr) expr)
     expr))
 
-(defn wrap-def [task-name prog last?]
-  (format "(def %s (future %s)) %s"
-          task-name prog
-          (if last?
+(defn wrap-future [prog parallel?]
+  (if parallel?
+    (format "(future %s)" prog)
+    prog))
+
+(defn wrap-def [task-name prog parallel? last?]
+  (format "(def %s %s) %s"
+          task-name (wrap-future prog parallel?)
+          (if (and parallel? last?)
             (format "(babashka.tasks/-wait %s)" task-name)
             task-name)))
 
@@ -81,14 +86,14 @@
 
 (defn assemble-task-1
   "Assembles task, does not process :depends."
-  ([task-name task]
-   (assemble-task-1 task-name task nil nil))
-  ([task-name task last?] (assemble-task-1 task-name task last? nil))
-  ([task-name task last? depends]
+  ([task-name task parallel?]
+   (assemble-task-1 task-name task parallel? nil nil))
+  ([task-name task parallel? last?] (assemble-task-1 task-name task parallel? last? nil))
+  ([task-name task parallel? last? depends]
    (cond (qualified-symbol? task)
          (let [prog (format "(apply %s *command-line-args*)" task)
                prog (wrap-depends prog depends)
-               prog (wrap-def task-name prog last?)
+               prog (wrap-def task-name prog parallel? last?)
                prog (format "
 (do (require (quote %s))
 %s)"
@@ -97,9 +102,9 @@
            prog)
          (map? task)
          (let [t (:task task)]
-           (assemble-task-1 task-name t last? (:depends task)))
+           (assemble-task-1 task-name t parallel? last? (:depends task)))
          :else (let [prog (wrap-depends task depends)]
-                 (wrap-def task-name prog last?)))))
+                 (wrap-def task-name prog parallel? last?)))))
 
 (defn format-task [init prog]
   (format "
@@ -122,7 +127,7 @@
                (conj order task-name))
            order))))))
 
-(defn assemble-task [task-name]
+(defn assemble-task [task-name parallel?]
   (let [task-name (symbol task-name)
         tasks (get @bb-edn :tasks)
         task (get tasks task-name)]
@@ -137,7 +142,7 @@
                              targets (next targets)]
                          (if targets
                            (if-let [task (get tasks t)]
-                             (recur (str prog "\n" (assemble-task-1 t task))
+                             (recur (str prog "\n" (assemble-task-1 t task parallel?))
                                     targets)
                              [(binding [*out* *err*]
                                 (println "No such task:" task-name)) 1])
@@ -145,11 +150,11 @@
                              (let [prog (str prog "\n"
                                              (apply str (map deref-task depends))
                                              "\n"
-                                             (assemble-task-1 t task true))]
+                                             (assemble-task-1 t task parallel? true))]
                                [[(format-task init prog)] nil])
                              [(binding [*out* *err*]
                                 (println "No such task:" task-name)) 1])))))
-                   [[(format-task init (assemble-task-1 task-name task true))] nil])]
+                   [[(format-task init (assemble-task-1 task-name task parallel? true))] nil])]
         (when (= "true" (System/getenv "BABASHKA_DEV"))
           (println (ffirst prog)))
         prog)
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index 14d44998..fa9828fc 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@
      "help"
      "doc"
      "tasks"
+     "run"
      "uberjar"
      "uberscript"
      "repl"
@@ -403,6 +404,17 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
 (defn shell-seq [in]
   (line-seq (java.io.BufferedReader. in)))
 
+(defn parse-run-opts [opts-map args]
+  (loop [opts-map opts-map
+         args (seq args)]
+    (if args
+      (let [fst (first args)]
+        (if (= "--parallel" fst)
+          (recur (assoc opts-map :parallel-tasks true)
+                 (next args))
+          (assoc opts-map :run fst :command-line-args (next args))))
+      opts-map)))
+
 (defn parse-opts [options]
   (let [opt (first options)
         tasks (into #{} (map str) (keys (:tasks @common/bb-edn)))]
@@ -413,9 +425,9 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
             (fs/regular-file? opt)
             (if (str/ends-with? opt ".jar")
               {:jar opt
-               :command-line-args (rest options)}
+               :command-line-args (next options)}
               {:file opt
-               :command-line-args (rest options)})
+               :command-line-args (next options)})
             (command? opt)
             (recur (cons (str "--" opt) (next options)))
             :else
@@ -529,9 +541,7 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
                                  (recur (next options)
                                         (assoc opts-map :main (first options))))
                                ("--run")
-                               (let [options (next options)]
-                                 (recur (next options)
-                                        (assoc opts-map :run (first options))))
+                               (parse-run-opts opts-map (next options))
                                ("--tasks")
                                (assoc opts-map :list-tasks true
                                       :command-line-args (next options))
@@ -556,7 +566,7 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
 
 (def env (atom {}))
 
-(defn exec [opts]
+(defn exec [cli-opts]
   (binding [*unrestricted* true]
     (sci/binding [core/warn-on-reflection @core/warn-on-reflection
                   core/data-readers @core/data-readers
@@ -570,7 +580,7 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
                     :main :uberscript :describe?
                     :jar :uberjar :clojure
                     :doc :run :list-tasks]}
-            opts
+            cli-opts
             _ (when verbose? (vreset! common/verbose? true))
             _ (do ;; set properties
                 (when main (System/setProperty "babashka.main" main))
@@ -658,7 +668,7 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
                                    "-main")]
                     [[(format "(ns user (:require [%1$s])) (apply %1$s/%2$s *command-line-args*)"
                               ns var-name)] nil])
-                  run (tasks/assemble-task run)
+                  run (tasks/assemble-task run (:parallel-tasks cli-opts))
                   file (try [[(read-file file)] nil]
                             (catch Exception e
                               (error-handler e {:expression expressions