diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7643121d8..873512579 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ Most Pelias configuration is done through pelias-config, however the API has add
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | HOST | `undefined` | The network interface the Pelias API will bind to. Defaults to whatever the current Node.js default is, which is currently to listen on all interfaces. See the [Node.js Net documentation](https://nodejs.org/api/net.html#net_server_listen_port_host_backlog_callback) for more info. |
 | PORT | 3100 | The TCP port the Pelias API will use for incoming network connections. |
+| CPUS | 1 | The maximum number of worker processes to be launched. Will not launch more than one process per detected CPU |
 
 ## Contributing
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 6b6cfb095..041e73fbb 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+const os = require('os');
+const cluster = require('cluster');
+
 const logger = require('pelias-logger').get('api');
 const type_mapping = require('./helper/type_mapping');
 
@@ -5,21 +8,81 @@ const app = require('./app'),
     port = ( process.env.PORT || 3100 ),
     host = ( process.env.HOST || undefined );
 
+// determine the number of processes to launch
+// by default launch only a single process,
+// but if the CPUS environment variable is set, launch up to one process per CPU detected
+const envCpus = parseInt( process.env.CPUS, 10 );
+const cpus = Math.min( envCpus || 1 , os.availableParallelism() );
+
 let server;
+let terminating = false;
+
+logger.info('Starting Pelias API using %d CPUs', cpus);
+
+// simple case where cluster module is disabled with CPUS=1
+// or if this is a worker
+if ( cpus === 1 || cluster.isWorker ) {
+  startServer();
+// if using the cluster module, do more work to set up all the workers
+} else if ( cluster.isMaster ) {
+  // listen to worker ready message and print a message
+  cluster.on('online', (worker) => {
+    if (Object.keys(cluster.workers).length === cpus) {
+      logger.info( `pelias is now running on http://${host || `::`}:${port}` );
+    }
+  });
+
+  // set up worker exit event that prints error message
+  cluster.on('exit', (worker, code, signal) => {
+    if (!terminating) {
+      logger.error('[master] worker died', worker.process.pid);
+    }
+  });
 
-// load Elasticsearch type mappings before starting web server
-type_mapping.load(() => {
-  server = app.listen( port, host, () => {
-    // ask server for the actual address and port its listening on
-    const listenAddress = server.address();
-    logger.info( `pelias is now running on http://${listenAddress.address}:${listenAddress.port}` );
+  // create a handler that prints when a new worker is created via fork
+  cluster.on('fork', (worker, code, signal) => {
+    logger.info('[master] worker forked', worker.process.pid);
   });
-});
 
+  // call fork to create the desired number of workers
+  for( let c = 0; c < cpus; c++ ){
+    cluster.fork();
+  }
+}
+
+// an exit handler that either closes the local Express server
+// or, if using the cluster module, forwards the signal to all workers
 function exitHandler() {
-  logger.info('Pelias API shutting down');
+  terminating = true;
+
+  if (cluster.isPrimary) {
+    logger.info('Pelias API shutting down');
+    for (const id in cluster.workers) {
+      cluster.workers[id].send('shutdown');
+      cluster.workers[id].disconnect();
+    }
+  }
 
-  server.close();
+  if (server) {
+    server.close();
+  }
+}
+
+function startServer() {
+  // load Elasticsearch type_mapping before starting the web server
+  // This has to be run on each forked worker because unlike "real"
+  // unix `fork`, these forks don't share memory with other workers
+  type_mapping.load(() => {
+    server = app.listen( port, host, () => {
+      // ask server for the actual address and port its listening on
+      const listenAddress = server.address();
+      if (cluster.isMaster) {
+        logger.info( `pelias is now running on http://${listenAddress.address}:${listenAddress.port}` );
+      } else {
+        logger.info( `pelias worker ${process.pid} online` );
+      }
+    });
+  });
 }
 
 process.on('SIGINT', exitHandler);