diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 772775a..193fa1a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ The driver recognizes the following environment variables:
  * Specifies the path to the Indy SDK library.
  * Default value: (empty string)
 
+### `uniresolver_driver_did_sov_openParallel`
+
+* Specifies whether to open Indy pools in parallel threads. This speeds up startup, but may consume more memory.
+* Default value: false
+
 ### `uniresolver_driver_did_sov_poolConfigs`
 
  * Specifies a semi-colon-separated list of Indy network names and pool configuration files. The default network is `_`.
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 42e83db..057a654 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ USER jetty
 # variables
 
 ENV uniresolver_driver_did_sov_libIndyPath=
+ENV uniresolver_driver_did_sov_openParallel=false
 ENV uniresolver_driver_did_sov_poolConfigs=_;./sovrin/_.txn;test;./sovrin/test.txn;builder;./sovrin/builder.txn;danube;./sovrin/danube.txn;idunion;./sovrin/idunion.txn;idunion:test;./sovrin/idunion-test.txn;indicio;./sovrin/indicio.txn;indicio:test;./sovrin/indicio-test.txn;indicio:demo;./sovrin/indicio-demo.txn;nxd;./sovrin/nxd.txn;findy:test;./sovrin/findy-test.txn;bcovrin;./sovrin/bcovrin.txn;bcovrin:test;./sovrin/bcovrin-test.txn;bcovrin:dev;./sovrin/bcovrin-dev.txn;candy;./sovrin/candy.txn;candy:test;./sovrin/candy-test.txn;candy:dev;./sovrin/candy-dev.txn
 ENV uniresolver_driver_did_sov_poolVersions=_;2;test;2;builder;2;danube;2;idunion;2;idunion:test;2;indicio;2;indicio:test;2;indicio:demo;2;nxd;2;findy:test;2;bcovrin;2;bcovrin:test;2;bcovrin:dev;2;candy;2;candy:test;2;candy:dev;2
 ENV uniresolver_driver_did_sov_walletNames=_;w1;test;w2;builder;w3;danube;w4;idunion;w5;idunion:test;w6;indicio;w7;indicio:test;w8;indicio:demo;w9;nxd;w11;findy:test;w12;bcovrin;w13;bcovrin:test;w14;bcovrin:dev;w15;candy;w16;candy:test;w17;candy:dev;w18
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index d5dc881..34e5f63 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 
 		<!-- Dependency Versions -->
 
-		<libindy-common-java.version>0.3.0</libindy-common-java.version>
+		<libindy-common-java.version>0.4.0</libindy-common-java.version>
 		<did-common-java.version>1.11.0</did-common-java.version>
 
 		<io.leonard-base58.version>0.0.2</io.leonard-base58.version>
diff --git a/src/main/java/uniresolver/driver/did/sov/DidSovDriver.java b/src/main/java/uniresolver/driver/did/sov/DidSovDriver.java
index d7648cb..aabab26 100644
--- a/src/main/java/uniresolver/driver/did/sov/DidSovDriver.java
+++ b/src/main/java/uniresolver/driver/did/sov/DidSovDriver.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ public class DidSovDriver implements Driver {
 	private Map<String, Object> properties;
 
 	private LibIndyInitializer libIndyInitializer;
+	private boolean openParallel;
 	private IndyConnector indyConnector;
 
 	public DidSovDriver(Map<String, Object> properties) {
@@ -54,12 +55,14 @@ private static Map<String, Object> getPropertiesFromEnvironment() {
 		try {
 
 			String env_libIndyPath = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_libIndyPath");
+			String env_openParallel = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_openParallel");
 			String env_poolConfigs = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_poolConfigs");
 			String env_poolVersions = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_poolVersions");
 			String env_walletNames = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_walletNames");
 			String env_submitterDidSeeds = System.getenv("uniresolver_driver_did_sov_submitterDidSeeds");
 
 			if (env_libIndyPath != null) properties.put("libIndyPath", env_libIndyPath);
+			if (env_openParallel != null) properties.put("openParallel", env_openParallel);
 			if (env_poolConfigs != null) properties.put("poolConfigs", env_poolConfigs);
 			if (env_poolVersions != null) properties.put("poolVersions", env_poolVersions);
 			if (env_walletNames != null) properties.put("walletNames", env_walletNames);
@@ -79,10 +82,13 @@ private void configureFromProperties() {
 		try {
 
 			String prop_libIndyPath = (String) this.getProperties().get("libIndyPath");
+			String prop_openParallel = (String) this.getProperties().get("openParallel");
 
 			this.setLibIndyInitializer(new LibIndyInitializer(
 					prop_libIndyPath));
 
+			this.setOpenParallel(Boolean.parseBoolean(prop_openParallel));
+
 			String prop_poolConfigs = (String) this.getProperties().get("poolConfigs");
 			String prop_poolVersions = (String) this.getProperties().get("poolVersions");
 			String prop_walletNames = (String) this.getProperties().get("walletNames");
@@ -114,7 +120,7 @@ public ResolveDataModelResult resolve(DID did, Map<String, Object> resolveOption
 
 		if (! this.getIndyConnector().isOpened()) {
 			try {
-				this.getIndyConnector().openIndyConnections(true, false);
+				this.getIndyConnector().openIndyConnections(true, false, this.getOpenParallel());
 				if (log.isInfoEnabled()) log.info("Successfully opened Indy connections.");
 			} catch (IndyConnectionException ex) {
 				throw new ResolutionException("Cannot open Indy connections: " + ex.getMessage(), ex);
@@ -255,6 +261,14 @@ public void setLibIndyInitializer(LibIndyInitializer libIndyInitializer) {
 		this.libIndyInitializer = libIndyInitializer;
 	}
 
+	public boolean getOpenParallel() {
+		return openParallel;
+	}
+
+	public void setOpenParallel(boolean openParallel) {
+		this.openParallel = openParallel;
+	}
+
 	public IndyConnector getIndyConnector() {
 		return indyConnector;
 	}