diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ Implements the Distutils 'build_ext' com
 modules (currently limited to C extensions, should accommodate C++
 extensions ASAP)."""
 
-import sys, os, re
+import contextlib
+import os
+import re
+import sys
 from distutils.core import Command
 from distutils.errors import *
 from distutils.sysconfig import customize_compiler, get_python_version
@@ -451,15 +454,36 @@ class build_ext(Command):
     def build_extensions(self):
         # First, sanity-check the 'extensions' list
         self.check_extensions_list(self.extensions)
+        self._build_extensions_parallel()
 
+    def _build_extensions_parallel(self):
+        try:
+            from os import cpu_count
+            from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
+        except ImportError:
+            self._build_extensions_serial()
+
+        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=cpu_count()) as executor:
+            futures = [executor.submit(self.build_extension, ext)
+                       for ext in self.extensions]
+            for ext, fut in zip(self.extensions, futures):
+                with self._filter_build_errors(ext):
+                    fut.result()
+
+    def _build_extensions_serial(self):
         for ext in self.extensions:
-            try:
+            with self._filter_build_errors(ext):
                 self.build_extension(ext)
-            except (CCompilerError, DistutilsError, CompileError) as e:
-                if not ext.optional:
-                    raise
-                self.warn('building extension "%s" failed: %s' %
-                          (ext.name, e))
+
+    @contextlib.contextmanager
+    def _filter_build_errors(self, ext):
+        try:
+            yield
+        except (CCompilerError, DistutilsError, CompileError) as e:
+            if not ext.optional:
+                raise
+            self.warn('building extension "%s" failed: %s' %
+                      (ext.name, e))
 
     def build_extension(self, ext):
         sources = ext.sources