diff --git a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/CuratorFrameworkFactory.java b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/CuratorFrameworkFactory.java
index d24b56d64..bf928d824 100644
--- a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/CuratorFrameworkFactory.java
+++ b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/CuratorFrameworkFactory.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import org.apache.curator.CuratorZookeeperClient;
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ public static class Builder {
         private SchemaSet schemaSet = SchemaSet.getDefaultSchemaSet();
         private int waitForShutdownTimeoutMs = 0;
         private Executor runSafeService = null;
+        private ExecutorService asyncWatchService = null;
         private ConnectionStateListenerManagerFactory connectionStateListenerManagerFactory =
                 ConnectionStateListenerManagerFactory.standard;
         private int simulatedSessionExpirationPercent = 100;
@@ -506,6 +508,19 @@ public Builder runSafeService(Executor runSafeService) {
             return this;
         }
 
+        /**
+         * By default, watches are run sequentially.
+         * If an executor is provided here, then all watch calls will be run asynchronously via this executor.
+         * This executor service will be closed when the CuratorFramework is closed.
+         *
+         * @param asyncWatchService executorService to use for all watch calls
+         * @return this
+         */
+        public Builder asyncWatchService(ExecutorService asyncWatchService) {
+            this.asyncWatchService = asyncWatchService;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         /**
          * Sets the connection state listener manager factory. For example,
          * you can set {@link org.apache.curator.framework.state.ConnectionStateListenerManagerFactory#circuitBreaking(org.apache.curator.RetryPolicy)}
@@ -530,6 +545,10 @@ public Executor getRunSafeService() {
             return runSafeService;
         }
 
+        public ExecutorService getAsyncWatchService() {
+            return asyncWatchService;
+        }
+
         public ACLProvider getAclProvider() {
             return aclProvider;
         }
diff --git a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/CuratorFrameworkImpl.java b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/CuratorFrameworkImpl.java
index 816d0bda0..04b24f8b9 100644
--- a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/CuratorFrameworkImpl.java
+++ b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/CuratorFrameworkImpl.java
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ public class CuratorFrameworkImpl implements CuratorFramework {
     private final EnsembleTracker ensembleTracker;
     private final SchemaSet schemaSet;
     private final Executor runSafeService;
+    private final ExecutorService asyncWatchService;
     private final ZookeeperCompatibility zookeeperCompatibility;
 
     private volatile ExecutorService executorService;
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ public void process(WatchedEvent watchedEvent) {
                 builder.withEnsembleTracker() ? new EnsembleTracker(this, builder.getEnsembleProvider()) : null;
 
         runSafeService = makeRunSafeService(builder);
+        asyncWatchService = builder.getAsyncWatchService();
         zookeeperCompatibility = builder.getZookeeperCompatibility();
     }
 
@@ -294,6 +296,7 @@ protected CuratorFrameworkImpl(CuratorFrameworkImpl parent) {
         schemaSet = parent.schemaSet;
         ensembleTracker = parent.ensembleTracker;
         runSafeService = parent.runSafeService;
+        asyncWatchService = parent.asyncWatchService;
         zookeeperCompatibility = parent.zookeeperCompatibility;
     }
 
@@ -430,7 +433,6 @@ public void close() {
                     Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
                 }
             }
-
             if (ensembleTracker != null) {
                 ensembleTracker.close();
             }
@@ -445,6 +447,18 @@ public void close() {
             unhandledErrorListeners.clear();
             connectionStateManager.close();
             client.close();
+
+            if (asyncWatchService != null) {
+                asyncWatchService.shutdown();
+                try {
+                    if (!asyncWatchService.awaitTermination(maxCloseWaitMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)) {
+                        asyncWatchService.shutdownNow();
+                    }
+                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                    // Interrupted while interrupting; I give up.
+                    Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -630,6 +644,10 @@ FailedRemoveWatchManager getFailedRemoveWatcherManager() {
         return failedRemoveWatcherManager;
     }
 
+    ExecutorService getAsyncWatchService() {
+        return asyncWatchService;
+    }
+
     RetryLoop newRetryLoop() {
         return client.newRetryLoop();
     }
diff --git a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/NamespaceWatcher.java b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/NamespaceWatcher.java
index c3f0d8e29..27028cac6 100644
--- a/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/NamespaceWatcher.java
+++ b/curator-framework/src/main/java/org/apache/curator/framework/imps/NamespaceWatcher.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import com.google.common.base.Objects;
 import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import java.io.Closeable;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import org.apache.curator.framework.api.CuratorWatcher;
 import org.apache.curator.utils.ThreadUtils;
 import org.apache.zookeeper.WatchedEvent;
@@ -65,14 +66,25 @@ public void process(WatchedEvent event) {
                 client.getWatcherRemovalManager().noteTriggeredWatcher(this);
             }
 
+            Runnable watchRunnable = null;
             if (actualWatcher != null) {
-                actualWatcher.process(new NamespaceWatchedEvent(client, event));
+                watchRunnable = () -> actualWatcher.process(new NamespaceWatchedEvent(client, event));
             } else if (curatorWatcher != null) {
-                try {
-                    curatorWatcher.process(new NamespaceWatchedEvent(client, event));
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    ThreadUtils.checkInterrupted(e);
-                    client.logError("Watcher exception", e);
+                watchRunnable = () -> {
+                    try {
+                        curatorWatcher.process(new NamespaceWatchedEvent(client, event));
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        ThreadUtils.checkInterrupted(e);
+                        client.logError("Watcher exception", e);
+                    }
+                };
+            }
+            if (watchRunnable != null) {
+                Executor watchExecutor = client.getAsyncWatchService();
+                if (watchExecutor != null) {
+                    watchExecutor.execute(watchRunnable);
+                } else {
+                    watchRunnable.run();
                 }
             }
         }