diff --git a/naga/xtask/Cargo.lock b/naga/xtask/Cargo.lock
index 6d2d13459..a1727a897 100644
--- a/naga/xtask/Cargo.lock
+++ b/naga/xtask/Cargo.lock
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ version = "0.3.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d2fabcfbdc87f4758337ca535fb41a6d701b65693ce38287d856d1674551ec9b"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "hermit-abi"
+version = "0.3.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d77f7ec81a6d05a3abb01ab6eb7590f6083d08449fe5a1c8b1e620283546ccb7"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hlsl-snapshots"
 version = "0.1.0"
@@ -84,6 +90,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "jobserver"
+version = "0.1.27"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8c37f63953c4c63420ed5fd3d6d398c719489b9f872b9fa683262f8edd363c7d"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
 version = "1.4.0"
@@ -120,6 +135,16 @@ version = "0.1.19"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "ed7a94da6c6181c35d043fc61c43ac96d3a5d739e7b8027f77650ba41504d6ab"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "num_cpus"
+version = "1.16.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4161fcb6d602d4d2081af7c3a45852d875a03dd337a6bfdd6e06407b61342a43"
+dependencies = [
+ "hermit-abi",
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "number_prefix"
 version = "0.4.0"
@@ -242,7 +267,9 @@ dependencies = [
  "glob",
  "hlsl-snapshots",
  "indicatif",
+ "jobserver",
  "log",
+ "num_cpus",
  "pico-args",
  "shell-words",
  "which",
diff --git a/naga/xtask/Cargo.toml b/naga/xtask/Cargo.toml
index f1b5ff8a7..159e54a58 100644
--- a/naga/xtask/Cargo.toml
+++ b/naga/xtask/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ env_logger = { version = "0.10.0", default-features = false }
 glob = "0.3.1"
 hlsl-snapshots = { path = "../hlsl-snapshots"}
 indicatif = "0.17"
+jobserver = "0.1"
 log = "0.4.17"
+num_cpus = "1.16"
 pico-args = "0.5.0"
 shell-words = "1.1.0"
 which = "4.4.0"
diff --git a/naga/xtask/src/jobserver.rs b/naga/xtask/src/jobserver.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f035f81b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/naga/xtask/src/jobserver.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+//! Running jobs in parallel, with a controlled degree of concurrency.
+
+use std::sync::OnceLock;
+
+use jobserver::Client;
+
+static JOB_SERVER: OnceLock<Client> = OnceLock::new();
+
+pub fn init() {
+    JOB_SERVER.get_or_init(|| {
+        // Try to connect to a jobserver inherited from our parent.
+        if let Some(client) = unsafe { Client::from_env() } {
+            log::debug!("connected to inherited jobserver client");
+            client
+        } else {
+            // Otherwise, start our own jobserver.
+            log::debug!("no inherited jobserver client; creating a new jobserver");
+            Client::new(num_cpus::get()).expect("failed to create jobserver")
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+/// Wait until it is okay to start a new job, and then spawn a thread running `body`.
+pub fn start_job_thread<F>(body: F) -> anyhow::Result<()>
+where
+    F: FnOnce() + Send + 'static,
+{
+    let acquired = JOB_SERVER.get().unwrap().acquire()?;
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        body();
+        drop(acquired);
+    });
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/naga/xtask/src/main.rs b/naga/xtask/src/main.rs
index 1ab648912..aed7f48c7 100644
--- a/naga/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/naga/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use crate::{
 mod cli;
 mod fs;
 mod glob;
+mod jobserver;
 mod path;
 mod process;
 mod result;
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ fn main() -> ExitCode {
         .format_indent(Some(0))
         .init();
 
+    jobserver::init();
+
     let args = Args::parse();
 
     match run(args) {
diff --git a/naga/xtask/src/validate.rs b/naga/xtask/src/validate.rs
index 1d907525f..cb27786c5 100644
--- a/naga/xtask/src/validate.rs
+++ b/naga/xtask/src/validate.rs
@@ -13,15 +13,37 @@ use crate::{
     process::{which, EasyCommand},
 };
 
+type Job = Box<dyn FnOnce() -> anyhow::Result<()> + Send + std::panic::UnwindSafe + 'static>;
+
 pub(crate) fn validate(cmd: ValidateSubcommand) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let mut jobs = vec![];
     collect_validation_jobs(&mut jobs, cmd)?;
 
     let progress_bar = indicatif::ProgressBar::new(jobs.len() as u64);
 
+    let (tx_results, rx_results) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+    let enqueuing_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+        for job in jobs {
+            let tx_results = tx_results.clone();
+            crate::jobserver::start_job_thread(move || {
+                let result = match std::panic::catch_unwind(|| job()) {
+                    Ok(result) => result,
+                    Err(payload) => Err(match payload.downcast_ref::<&str>() {
+                        Some(message) => {
+                            anyhow::anyhow!("Validation job thread panicked: {}", message)
+                        }
+                        None => anyhow::anyhow!("Validation job thread panicked"),
+                    }),
+                };
+                tx_results.send(result).unwrap();
+            })?;
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    });
+
     let mut all_good = true;
-    for job in jobs {
-        if let Err(error) = job() {
+    for result in rx_results {
+        if let Err(error) = result {
             all_good = false;
             progress_bar.suspend(|| {
                 eprintln!("{:#}", error);
@@ -35,29 +57,12 @@ pub(crate) fn validate(cmd: ValidateSubcommand) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     if !all_good {
         bail!("failed to validate one or more files, see above output for more details")
     }
-    Ok(())
-}
 
-type Job = Box<dyn FnOnce() -> anyhow::Result<()>>;
-
-fn push_job_for_each_file(
-    top_dir: impl AsRef<Path>,
-    pattern: impl AsRef<Path>,
-    jobs: &mut Vec<Job>,
-    f: impl FnOnce(std::path::PathBuf) -> anyhow::Result<()> + Clone + 'static,
-) {
-    crate::glob::for_each_file(top_dir, pattern, move |path_result| {
-        // Let each job closure stand on its own.
-        let f = f.clone();
-        jobs.push(Box::new(|| f(path_result?)));
-    });
-}
-
-/// Call `f` to extend `jobs`, but if `f` itself fails, push a job that reports that.
-fn try_push_job(jobs: &mut Vec<Job>, f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<Job>) -> anyhow::Result<()>) {
-    if let Err(error) = f(jobs) {
-        jobs.push(Box::new(|| Err(error)));
+    if let Err(error) = enqueuing_thread.join().unwrap() {
+        bail!("Error enqueuing jobs:\n{:#}", error);
     }
+
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 fn collect_validation_jobs(jobs: &mut Vec<Job>, cmd: ValidateSubcommand) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
@@ -142,6 +147,30 @@ fn collect_validation_jobs(jobs: &mut Vec<Job>, cmd: ValidateSubcommand) -> anyh
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn push_job_for_each_file(
+    top_dir: impl AsRef<Path>,
+    pattern: impl AsRef<Path>,
+    jobs: &mut Vec<Job>,
+    f: impl FnOnce(std::path::PathBuf) -> anyhow::Result<()>
+        + Clone
+        + Send
+        + std::panic::UnwindSafe
+        + 'static,
+) {
+    crate::glob::for_each_file(top_dir, pattern, move |path_result| {
+        // Let each job closure stand on its own.
+        let f = f.clone();
+        jobs.push(Box::new(|| f(path_result?)));
+    });
+}
+
+/// Call `f` to extend `jobs`, but if `f` itself fails, push a job that reports that.
+fn try_push_job(jobs: &mut Vec<Job>, f: impl FnOnce(&mut Vec<Job>) -> anyhow::Result<()>) {
+    if let Err(error) = f(jobs) {
+        jobs.push(Box::new(|| Err(error)));
+    }
+}
+
 fn validate_spirv(path: &Path, spirv_as: &str, spirv_val: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let second_line = {
         let mut file = BufReader::new(open_file(path)?);
@@ -233,6 +262,8 @@ fn push_job_for_each_hlsl_config_item(
     jobs: &mut Vec<Job>,
     validator: impl FnMut(&Path, hlsl_snapshots::ConfigItem, &str) -> anyhow::Result<()>
         + Clone
+        + Send
+        + std::panic::UnwindSafe
         + 'static,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let hlsl_snapshots::Config {