diff --git a/build/builder.go b/build/builder.go
index fa666821..1838b777 100644
--- a/build/builder.go
+++ b/build/builder.go
@@ -564,14 +564,11 @@ func NewBuilder(opts Options) (*Builder, error) {
 	}
 
 	parserFactory, err := ctags.NewParserFactory(
-		ctags.ParserBinMap{
-			ctags.UniversalCTags: b.opts.CTagsPath,
-			ctags.ScipCTags:      b.opts.ScipCTagsPath,
-		},
+		b.opts.CTagsPath,
+		b.opts.ScipCTagsPath,
 		opts.LanguageMap,
 		b.opts.CTagsMustSucceed,
 	)
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/build/ctags.go b/build/ctags.go
index 074ba53a..48a65577 100644
--- a/build/ctags.go
+++ b/build/ctags.go
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ func parseSymbols(todo []*zoekt.Document, languageMap ctags.LanguageMap, parserF
 
 	var tagsToSections tagsToSections
 
+	parsers := make(map[ctags.CTagsParserType]ctags.Parser)
+
 	for _, doc := range todo {
 		if len(doc.Content) == 0 || doc.Symbols != nil {
 			continue
@@ -65,10 +67,16 @@ func parseSymbols(todo []*zoekt.Document, languageMap ctags.LanguageMap, parserF
 			parserKind = ctags.UniversalCTags
 		}
 
-		parser := parserFactory[parserKind]
+		parser := parsers[parserKind]
 		if parser == nil {
-			// this happens if CTagsMustSucceed is false and we didn't find the binary
-			continue
+			// Spin up a new parser for this parser kind
+			parser = parserFactory.NewParser(parserKind)
+			if parser == nil {
+				// this happens if CTagsMustSucceed is false and we didn't find the binary
+				continue
+			}
+			parsers[parserKind] = parser
+			defer parser.Close()
 		}
 
 		monitor.BeginParsing(doc)
diff --git a/build/ctags_test.go b/build/ctags_test.go
index ea9b3d8f..c694d433 100644
--- a/build/ctags_test.go
+++ b/build/ctags_test.go
@@ -257,15 +257,22 @@ func BenchmarkTagsToSections(b *testing.B) {
 	requireCTags(b)
 
 	file, err := os.ReadFile("./testdata/large_file.cc")
-	parser := ctags.NewParser("universal-ctags")
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
-	var tagsToSections tagsToSections
+	factory, err := ctags.NewParserFactory("universal-ctags", "", ctags.LanguageMap{}, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
 
+	parser := factory.NewParser(ctags.UniversalCTags)
 	entries, err := parser.Parse("./testdata/large_file.cc", file)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	var tagsToSections tagsToSections
 	secs, _, err := tagsToSections.Convert(file, entries)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/ctags/json.go b/ctags/json.go
index 41ca0930..a08c92ea 100644
--- a/ctags/json.go
+++ b/ctags/json.go
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ package ctags
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
-	"os"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -115,16 +113,3 @@ func (lp *lockedParser) close() {
 	lp.send = nil
 	lp.recv = nil
 }
-
-// NewParser creates a parser that is implemented by the given
-// universal-ctags binary. The parser is safe for concurrent use.
-func NewParser(bin string) Parser {
-	opts := goctags.Options{
-		Bin: bin,
-	}
-	if debug {
-		opts.Info = log.New(os.Stderr, "CTAGS INF: ", log.LstdFlags)
-		opts.Debug = log.New(os.Stderr, "CTAGS DBG: ", log.LstdFlags)
-	}
-	return &lockedParser{opts: opts,}
-}
diff --git a/ctags/json_test.go b/ctags/json_test.go
index 45690c24..21dabac7 100644
--- a/ctags/json_test.go
+++ b/ctags/json_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,12 @@ func TestJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skip(err)
 	}
 
-	p := NewParser("universal-ctags")
+	factory, err := NewParserFactory("universal-ctags", "", LanguageMap{}, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p := factory.NewParser(UniversalCTags)
 	defer p.Close()
 
 	java := `
diff --git a/ctags/parser_map.go b/ctags/parser_map.go
index 73f235bd..ac56d27b 100644
--- a/ctags/parser_map.go
+++ b/ctags/parser_map.go
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ package ctags
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
+
+	goctags "github.com/sourcegraph/go-ctags"
 )
 
 type CTagsParserType uint8
@@ -60,34 +64,34 @@ func StringToParser(str string) CTagsParserType {
 	}
 }
 
-type ParserFactory map[CTagsParserType]Parser
-type ParserBinMap map[CTagsParserType]string
-
-func NewParserFactory(bins ParserBinMap, languageMap LanguageMap, cTagsMustSucceed bool) (ParserFactory, error) {
-	parsers := make(ParserFactory)
+type ParserFactory map[CTagsParserType]string
 
-	requiredTypes := []CTagsParserType{UniversalCTags}
+func NewParserFactory(
+	ctagsPath string,
+	scipCTagsPath string,
+	languageMap LanguageMap,
+	cTagsMustSucceed bool,
+) (ParserFactory, error) {
+	validBins := make(map[CTagsParserType]string)
+	requiredBins := map[CTagsParserType]string{UniversalCTags: ctagsPath}
 	for _, parserType := range languageMap {
 		if parserType == ScipCTags {
-			requiredTypes = append(requiredTypes, ScipCTags)
+			requiredBins[ScipCTags] = scipCTagsPath
 			break
 		}
 	}
 
-	for _, parserType := range requiredTypes {
-		bin := bins[parserType]
+	for parserType, bin := range requiredBins {
 		if bin == "" && cTagsMustSucceed {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ctags binary not found for %s parser type", ParserToString(parserType))
 		}
-
 		if err := checkBinary(parserType, bin); err != nil && cTagsMustSucceed {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("ctags.NewParserFactory: %v", err)
 		}
-
-		parsers[parserType] = NewParser(bin)
+		validBins[parserType] = bin
 	}
 
-	return parsers, nil
+	return validBins, nil
 }
 
 // checkBinary does checks on bin to ensure we can correctly use the binary
@@ -111,3 +115,19 @@ func checkBinary(typ CTagsParserType, bin string) error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// NewParser creates a parser that is implemented by the given
+// ctags binary. The parser is safe for concurrent use.
+func (p ParserFactory) NewParser(typ CTagsParserType) Parser {
+	bin := p[typ]
+	if bin == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	opts := goctags.Options{Bin: bin}
+	if debug {
+		opts.Info = log.New(os.Stderr, "CTAGS INF: ", log.LstdFlags)
+		opts.Debug = log.New(os.Stderr, "CTAGS DBG: ", log.LstdFlags)
+	}
+	return &lockedParser{opts: opts}
+}