diff --git a/python/vmaf/core/executor.py b/python/vmaf/core/executor.py
index 52dde844e..d2da1375d 100644
--- a/python/vmaf/core/executor.py
+++ b/python/vmaf/core/executor.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ def _run(asset_lock):
                 lock.release()
                 return result
 
-            self.results = parallel_map(_run, list_args, processes=processes, sleep_sec=0.1)
+            self.results = parallel_map(_run, list_args, processes=processes)
         else:
             self.results = list(map(self._run_on_asset, self.assets))
 
diff --git a/python/vmaf/tools/misc.py b/python/vmaf/tools/misc.py
index dc82f07d5..e469045eb 100644
--- a/python/vmaf/tools/misc.py
+++ b/python/vmaf/tools/misc.py
@@ -306,64 +306,40 @@ def index_and_value_of_min(l):
     """
     return min(enumerate(l), key=lambda x: x[1])
 
+_pm_return_dict = None
+_pm_func = None
+_pm_list_args = None
 
-def parallel_map(func, list_args, processes=None, sleep_sec=0.01):
+def _parallel_map_rt(idx):
+    _pm_return_dict[idx] = _pm_func(_pm_list_args[idx])
+
+def parallel_map(func, list_args, processes=None):
     """
-    Build my own parallelized map function since multiprocessing's Process(),
-    or Pool.map() cannot meet my both needs:
-    1) be able to control the maximum number of processes in parallel
-    2) be able to take in non-picklable objects as arguments
+    Use multiprocessing.Pool to create a fast parallel map that doesn't pickle arguments
+    Note: only works on Unix! fork() used to propagate unpickleable data
     """
 
-    # get maximum number of active processes that can be used
-    max_active_procs = processes if processes is not None else multiprocessing.cpu_count()
-
-    # create shared dictionary
-    return_dict = multiprocessing.Manager().dict()
-
-    # define runner function
-    def func_wrapper(idx_args):
-        idx, args = idx_args
-        executor = func(args)
-        return_dict[idx] = executor
-
-    # add idx to args
-    list_idx_args = []
-    for idx, args in enumerate(list_args):
-        list_idx_args.append((idx, args))
-
-    procs = []
-    for idx_args in list_idx_args:
-        proc = multiprocessing.Process(target=func_wrapper, args=(idx_args,))
-        procs.append(proc)
-
-    waiting_procs = set(procs)
-    active_procs = set([])
-
-    # processing
-    while True:
-
-        # check if any procs in active_procs is done; if yes, remove them
-        for p in active_procs.copy():
-            if not p.is_alive():
-                active_procs.remove(p)
-
-        # check if we can add a proc to active_procs (add gradually one per loop)
-        if len(active_procs) < max_active_procs and len(waiting_procs) > 0:
-            # move one proc from waiting_procs to active_procs
-            p = waiting_procs.pop()
-            active_procs.add(p)
-            p.start()
-
-        # if both waiting_procs and active_procs are empty, can terminate
-        if len(waiting_procs) == 0 and len(active_procs) == 0:
-            break
+    context = multiprocessing
 
-        sleep(sleep_sec) # check every x sec
+    if getattr(multiprocessing, 'get_context', None) is None:
+        assert os.name == 'posix', "parallel_map() requires fork() support, but not running on Unix"
+    else:
+        assert 'fork' in multiprocessing.get_all_start_methods(), "parallel_map() requires fork() support"
+        context = multiprocessing.get_context('fork')
 
-    # finally, collect results
-    rets = list(map(lambda idx: return_dict[idx], range(len(list_args))))
-    return rets
+    # create shared dictionary
+    return_dict = context.Manager().dict()
+
+    def pool_init():
+        global _pm_func, _pm_list_args, _pm_return_dict
+        _pm_func = func
+        _pm_list_args = list_args
+        _pm_return_dict = return_dict
+
+    with context.Pool(processes, initializer=pool_init) as pool:
+        pool.map(_parallel_map_rt, range(len(list_args)))
+    
+    return [return_dict[i] for i in range(len(list_args))]
 
 
 def check_program_exist(program):