diff --git a/src/main/kx/c.java b/src/main/kx/c.java
index 9d69440d..d2f99ffb 100755
--- a/src/main/kx/c.java
+++ b/src/main/kx/c.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ public class c {
     int j;
     int J;
     boolean a;
+    private volatile boolean cancelled;
     int rxBufferSize;
     private String encoding = "UTF-8";
 
@@ -636,17 +637,21 @@ private void u() {
 
     public synchronized K.KBase k(K.KBase x, ProgressCallback progress) throws K4Exception, IOException {
         try {
-
+            cancelled = false;
             if (isClosed()) connect(true);
             try {
                 w(1, x);
                 inputStream.readFully(b = new byte[8]);
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 close();
-                // may be the socket was closed on the server side?
-                connect(true);
-                w(1, x);
-                inputStream.readFully(b = new byte[8]);
+                if (!cancelled) {
+                    // maybe the socket was closed on the server side?
+                    connect(true);
+                    w(1, x);
+                    inputStream.readFully(b = new byte[8]);
+                } else {
+                    return null;
+                }
             }
 
             return k(progress);
@@ -659,4 +664,9 @@ public synchronized K.KBase k(K.KBase x, ProgressCallback progress) throws K4Exc
     public K.KBase k(K.KBase x) throws K4Exception, IOException {
         return k(x, null);
     }
+
+    public void cancel() {
+        cancelled = true;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/studio/kdb/Config.java b/src/main/studio/kdb/Config.java
index 5d71b6c3..4f2cc744 100755
--- a/src/main/studio/kdb/Config.java
+++ b/src/main/studio/kdb/Config.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public enum ThemeEntry { CHARVECTOR, EOLCOMMENT, IDENTIFIER, OPERATOR, BOOLEAN,
     public static final String AUTO_SAVE = configDefault("isAutoSave", ConfigType.BOOLEAN, false);
     public static final String SAVE_ON_EXIT = configDefault("isSaveOnExit", ConfigType.BOOLEAN, true);
     public static final String FILE_WATCHER_ENABLED = configDefault("isFileWatcherEnabled", ConfigType.BOOLEAN, true);
+    public static final String ALLOW_PARALLEL_QUERY = configDefault("allowParallelQuery", ConfigType.BOOLEAN, false);
     public static final String SERVER_LIST_BOUNDS = configDefault("serverList", ConfigType.BOUNDS, new Dimension(ServerList.DEFAULT_WIDTH, ServerList.DEFAULT_HEIGHT));
     public static final String CHART_BOUNDS = configDefault("chartBounds", ConfigType.BOUNDS, 0.5);
     public static final String CELL_RIGHT_PADDING = configDefault("cellRightPadding", ConfigType.DOUBLE, 0.5);
diff --git a/src/main/studio/ui/SettingsDialog.java b/src/main/studio/ui/SettingsDialog.java
index 691d81d4..8f3a0114 100644
--- a/src/main/studio/ui/SettingsDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/studio/ui/SettingsDialog.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ public class SettingsDialog extends EscapeDialog {
     private JCheckBox chBoxAutoSave;
     private JCheckBox chBoxSaveOnExit;
     private JCheckBox chBoxFileWatcher;
+    private JCheckBox chBoxAllowParallelQuery;
     private JCheckBox chBoxRTSAAnimateBracketMatching;
     private JCheckBox chBoxRTSAHighlightCurrentLine;
     private JCheckBox chBoxRTSAWordWrap;
@@ -109,6 +110,10 @@ public boolean isFileWatcherEnabled() {
         return chBoxFileWatcher.isSelected();
     }
 
+    public boolean isAllowParallelQuery() {
+        return chBoxAllowParallelQuery.isSelected();
+    }
+
     public boolean isAnimateBracketMatching() {
         return chBoxRTSAAnimateBracketMatching.isSelected();
     }
@@ -258,6 +263,8 @@ private void initComponents() {
         chBoxSaveOnExit.setSelected(Config.getInstance().getBoolean(Config.SAVE_ON_EXIT));
         chBoxFileWatcher = new JCheckBox("File watcher (needs restart to take effect)");
         chBoxFileWatcher.setSelected(Config.getInstance().getBoolean(Config.FILE_WATCHER_ENABLED));
+        chBoxAllowParallelQuery = new JCheckBox("Allow parallel queries");
+        chBoxAllowParallelQuery.setSelected(Config.getInstance().getBoolean(Config.ALLOW_PARALLEL_QUERY));
 
         JLabel lblDefaultLineEnding = new JLabel ("Default line ending:");
         comboBoxLineEnding = new JComboBox<>(LineEnding.values());
@@ -287,7 +294,7 @@ private void initComponents() {
                 new GroupLayoutSimple.Stack()
                         .addLineAndGlue(lblLookAndFeel, comboBoxLookAndFeel)
                         .addLineAndGlue(chBoxShowServerCombo, chBoxAutoSave, chBoxSaveOnExit)
-                        .addLineAndGlue(chBoxFileWatcher)
+                        .addLineAndGlue(chBoxFileWatcher, chBoxAllowParallelQuery)
                         .addLine(lblAuthMechanism, comboBoxAuthMechanism, lblUser, txtUser, lblPassword, txtPassword)
         );
 
diff --git a/src/main/studio/ui/StudioPanel.java b/src/main/studio/ui/StudioPanel.java
index cbedd912..be986b38 100755
--- a/src/main/studio/ui/StudioPanel.java
+++ b/src/main/studio/ui/StudioPanel.java
@@ -224,8 +224,9 @@ public void refreshActionState() {
 
         boolean queryRunning = editor.getQueryExecutor().running();
         stopAction.setEnabled(queryRunning);
-        executeAction.setEnabled(!queryRunning);
-        executeCurrentLineAction.setEnabled(!queryRunning);
+        boolean allowParallel = CONFIG.getBoolean(Config.ALLOW_PARALLEL_QUERY);
+        executeAction.setEnabled(allowParallel || !queryRunning);
+        executeCurrentLineAction.setEnabled(allowParallel || !queryRunning);
         refreshAction.setEnabled(lastQuery != null && !queryRunning);
 
         TabPanel tab = (TabPanel) tabbedPane.getSelectedComponent();
@@ -827,6 +828,7 @@ public static void settings() {
         CONFIG.setExecAllOption(dialog.getExecAllOption());
         CONFIG.setBoolean(Config.SAVE_ON_EXIT, dialog.isSaveOnExit());
         CONFIG.setBoolean(Config.FILE_WATCHER_ENABLED, dialog.isFileWatcherEnabled());
+        CONFIG.setBoolean(Config.ALLOW_PARALLEL_QUERY, dialog.isAllowParallelQuery());
         CONFIG.setBoolean(Config.AUTO_SAVE, dialog.isAutoSave());
         CONFIG.setEnum(Config.DEFAULT_LINE_ENDING, dialog.getDefaultLineEnding());
 
diff --git a/src/main/studio/ui/action/QueryExecutor.java b/src/main/studio/ui/action/QueryExecutor.java
index 8626fe2a..545dc6d0 100644
--- a/src/main/studio/ui/action/QueryExecutor.java
+++ b/src/main/studio/ui/action/QueryExecutor.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public void execute(String query) {
     public void cancel() {
         if (worker == null) return;
         if (worker.isDone()) return;
+        worker.cancelQuery();   //avoid double-executing the query when cancelling
         worker.closeConnection();
         worker.cancel(true);
         worker = null;
@@ -158,6 +159,10 @@ protected QueryResult doInBackground() {
             return result;
         }
 
+        public void cancelQuery() {
+            c.cancel();
+        }
+
         @Override
         protected void done() {
             if (pm != null) {