diff --git a/doc/ffmpeg.texi b/doc/ffmpeg.texi
index 47c8935..8be24b2 100644
--- a/doc/ffmpeg.texi
+++ b/doc/ffmpeg.texi
@@ -415,6 +415,11 @@ This option is similar to @option{-filter}, the only difference is that its
 argument is the name of the file from which a filtergraph description is to be
 read.
 
+@item -filter_threads @var{nb_thraeds} (@emph{global})
+Defines how many threads are used to process a filter pipeline.
+Some filters support parallel processing. The default is the number of available
+CPUs.
+
 @item -pre[:@var{stream_specifier}] @var{preset_name} (@emph{output,per-stream})
 Specify the preset for matching stream(s).
 
@@ -1201,6 +1206,11 @@ To generate 5 seconds of pure red video using lavfi @code{color} source:
 ffmpeg -filter_complex 'color=c=red' -t 5 out.mkv
 @end example
 
+@item -filter_complex_threads @var{nb_threads} (@emph{global})
+Defines how many threads are used to process a @code{-filter_complex} pipeline.
+Some filters support parallel processing. The default is the number of available
+CPUs.
+
 @item -lavfi @var{filtergraph} (@emph{global})
 Define a complex filtergraph, i.e. one with arbitrary number of inputs and/or
 outputs. Equivalent to @option{-filter_complex}.
diff --git a/ffmpeg.h b/ffmpeg.h
index e1d4593..9a4389f 100644
--- a/ffmpeg.h
+++ b/ffmpeg.h
@@ -569,6 +569,9 @@ extern AVIOContext *progress_avio;
 extern float max_error_rate;
 extern char *videotoolbox_pixfmt;
 
+extern int filter_nbthreads;
+extern int filter_complex_nbthreads;
+
 extern const AVIOInterruptCB int_cb;
 
 extern const OptionDef options[];
diff --git a/ffmpeg_filter.c b/ffmpeg_filter.c
index 27aeca0..4554456 100644
--- a/ffmpeg_filter.c
+++ b/ffmpeg_filter.c
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@
 #include "libavutil/imgutils.h"
 #include "libavutil/samplefmt.h"
 
+int filter_nbthreads = -1;
+int filter_complex_nbthreads = -1;
+
 static const enum AVPixelFormat *get_compliance_unofficial_pix_fmts(enum AVCodecID codec_id, const enum AVPixelFormat default_formats[])
 {
     static const enum AVPixelFormat mjpeg_formats[] =
@@ -309,6 +312,8 @@ int init_complex_filtergraph(FilterGraph *fg)
     if (!graph)
         return AVERROR(ENOMEM);
 
+    // As a temporary graph, don't bother making threads
+    graph->nb_threads = 1;
     ret = avfilter_graph_parse2(graph, fg->graph_desc, &inputs, &outputs);
     if (ret < 0)
         goto fail;
@@ -992,6 +997,8 @@ int configure_filtergraph(FilterGraph *fg)
         char args[512];
         AVDictionaryEntry *e = NULL;
 
+        fg->graph->nb_threads = filter_complex_nbthreads;
+
         args[0] = 0;
         while ((e = av_dict_get(ost->sws_dict, "", e,
                                 AV_DICT_IGNORE_SUFFIX))) {
@@ -1022,6 +1029,8 @@ int configure_filtergraph(FilterGraph *fg)
         e = av_dict_get(ost->encoder_opts, "threads", NULL, 0);
         if (e)
             av_opt_set(fg->graph, "threads", e->value, 0);
+    } else {
+        fg->graph->nb_threads = filter_nbthreads;
     }
 
     if ((ret = avfilter_graph_parse2(fg->graph, graph_desc, &inputs, &outputs)) < 0)
diff --git a/ffmpeg_opt.c b/ffmpeg_opt.c
index 4d25fff..dc94380 100644
--- a/ffmpeg_opt.c
+++ b/ffmpeg_opt.c
@@ -3365,12 +3365,16 @@ const OptionDef options[] = {
         "set profile", "profile" },
     { "filter",         HAS_ARG | OPT_STRING | OPT_SPEC | OPT_OUTPUT, { .off = OFFSET(filters) },
         "set stream filtergraph", "filter_graph" },
+    { "filter_threads",  HAS_ARG | OPT_INT,                          { &filter_nbthreads },
+        "number of non-complex filter threads" },
     { "filter_script",  HAS_ARG | OPT_STRING | OPT_SPEC | OPT_OUTPUT, { .off = OFFSET(filter_scripts) },
         "read stream filtergraph description from a file", "filename" },
     { "reinit_filter",  HAS_ARG | OPT_INT | OPT_SPEC | OPT_INPUT,    { .off = OFFSET(reinit_filters) },
         "reinit filtergraph on input parameter changes", "" },
     { "filter_complex", HAS_ARG | OPT_EXPERT,                        { .func_arg = opt_filter_complex },
         "create a complex filtergraph", "graph_description" },
+    { "filter_complex_threads", HAS_ARG | OPT_INT,                   { &filter_complex_nbthreads },
+        "number of threads for -filter_complex" },
     { "lavfi",          HAS_ARG | OPT_EXPERT,                        { .func_arg = opt_filter_complex },
         "create a complex filtergraph", "graph_description" },
     { "filter_complex_script", HAS_ARG | OPT_EXPERT,                 { .func_arg = opt_filter_complex_script },
