diff --git a/LTA/ltastorageoverview/lib/scraper.py b/LTA/ltastorageoverview/lib/scraper.py
index 3ddae12e074078d24d6d226912c838af3672e6af..14d240d80eca0b1692283b48686e595f08d646df 100755
--- a/LTA/ltastorageoverview/lib/scraper.py
+++ b/LTA/ltastorageoverview/lib/scraper.py
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ def main():
 
     # Check the invocation arguments
     parser = OptionParser("%prog [options]", description='runs the lta scraper and stores results in the speficied database.')
-    parser.add_option('-j', '--parallel', dest='parallel', type='int', default=1, help='number of parallel srmls jobs to run, default: %default')
+    parser.add_option('-j', '--parallel', dest='parallel', type='int', default=8, help='number of parallel srmls jobs to run, default: %default')
     parser.add_option('-V', '--verbose', dest='verbose', action='store_true', help='verbose logging')
     parser.add_option('-Q', '--log-queries', dest='log_queries', action='store_true', help='log all pqsl queries')
     parser.add_option_group(dbcredentials.options_group(parser))