diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 1d68190d..f5276a2b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
         'pykwalify',
         'setuptools',
         'packaging',
+        'joblib'
     ],
     python_requires='>=3.8',
     entry_points={'console_scripts': ('west = west.app.main:main',)},
diff --git a/src/west/app/project.py b/src/west/app/project.py
index a046b65c..a7a4c9ab 100644
--- a/src/west/app/project.py
+++ b/src/west/app/project.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 '''West project commands'''
 
 import argparse
+from joblib import Parallel, delayed
 from functools import partial
 import logging
 import os
@@ -1018,18 +1019,22 @@ def update_all(self):
             import_flags=ImportFlag.FORCE_PROJECTS)
 
         failed = []
-        for project in self.manifest.projects:
+
+        def project_update(project):
             if (isinstance(project, ManifestProject) or
                     project.name in self.updated):
-                continue
+                return
             try:
                 if not self.project_is_active(project):
                     self.dbg(f'{project.name}: skipping inactive project')
-                    continue
-                self.update(project)
+                    return
                 self.updated.add(project.name)
+                self.update(project)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
                 failed.append(project)
+
+        Parallel(n_jobs=-1, require='sharedmem')(delayed(project_update)(project)
+                                                 for project in self.manifest.projects)
         self._handle_failed(self.args, failed)
 
     def update_importer(self, project, path):
@@ -1090,13 +1095,17 @@ def update_some(self):
             projects = self._projects(self.args.projects)
 
         failed = []
-        for project in projects:
+
+        def project_update_some(project):
             if isinstance(project, ManifestProject):
-                continue
+                return
             try:
                 self.update(project)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
                 failed.append(project)
+
+        Parallel(n_jobs=-1, require='sharedmem')(delayed(project_update_some)(project)
+                                                 for project in projects)
         self._handle_failed(self.args, failed)
 
     def toplevel_projects(self):