diff --git a/ocrmypdf_easyocr/__init__.py b/ocrmypdf_easyocr/__init__.py
index 81218e2..ec34109 100644
--- a/ocrmypdf_easyocr/__init__.py
+++ b/ocrmypdf_easyocr/__init__.py
@@ -6,14 +6,20 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
+import multiprocessing.managers
 import os
-from multiprocessing import Semaphore
+import threading
+import traceback
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
 import cv2 as cv
 import easyocr
+import numpy.typing as npt
 import pluggy
-from ocrmypdf import OcrEngine, hookimpl
+from ocrmypdf import Executor, OcrEngine, PdfContext, hookimpl
 from ocrmypdf._exec import tesseract
+from ocrmypdf.builtin_plugins.optimize import optimize_pdf as default_optimize_pdf
 
 from ocrmypdf_easyocr._cv import detect_skew
 from ocrmypdf_easyocr._easyocr import tidy_easyocr_result
@@ -21,8 +27,6 @@
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-GPU_SEMAPHORE = Semaphore(3)
-
 ISO_639_3_2: dict[str, str] = {
     "afr": "af",
     "alb": "sq",
@@ -89,16 +93,92 @@
     "vie": "vi",
 }
 
+Task = Tuple[npt.NDArray, multiprocessing.Value, threading.Event] | None
+
+
+def _ocr_process(q: multiprocessing.Queue[Task], options):
+    reader: Optional[easyocr.Reader] = None
+
+    while True:
+        message = q.get()
+        if message is None:
+            return  # exit process
+        gray, output_dict, event = message
+
+        # Init reader on first OCR attempt: Wait until `options` variable is fully initialized.
+        # Note: `options` variable is on the same process with the main thread.
+        try:
+            if reader is None:
+                use_gpu = options.gpu
+                languages = [ISO_639_3_2[lang] for lang in options.languages]
+                reader = easyocr.Reader(languages, use_gpu)
+            output_dict["output"] = reader.readtext(
+                gray, batch_size=options.easyocr_batch_size
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            traceback.print_exception(e)
+            output_dict["output"] = ""
+        finally:
+            event.set()
+
 
 @hookimpl
 def initialize(plugin_manager: pluggy.PluginManager):
     pass
 
 
+class ProcessList:
+    def __init__(self, plist):
+        self.process_list = plist
+
+    def __getstate__(self):
+        return []
+
+
+@hookimpl
+def check_options(options):
+    m = multiprocessing.Manager()
+    q = multiprocessing.Queue(-1)
+    ocr_process_list = []
+    for _ in range(options.easyocr_workers):
+        t = multiprocessing.Process(target=_ocr_process, args=(q, options), daemon=True)
+        t.start()
+        ocr_process_list.append(t)
+
+    options._easyocr_struct = {"manager": m, "queue": q}
+    options._easyocr_plist = ProcessList(ocr_process_list)
+
+
+@hookimpl
+def optimize_pdf(
+    input_pdf: Path,
+    output_pdf: Path,
+    context: PdfContext,
+    executor: Executor,
+    linearize: bool,
+) -> tuple[Path, Sequence[str]]:
+    options = context.options
+    for _ in range(options.easyocr_workers):
+        q = options._easyocr_struct["queue"]
+        q.put(None)  # send stop message
+    for p in options._easyocr_plist.process_list:
+        p.join(3.0)  # clean up child processes but don't wait forever
+
+    return default_optimize_pdf(
+        input_pdf=input_pdf,
+        output_pdf=output_pdf,
+        context=context,
+        executor=executor,
+        linearize=linearize,
+    )
+
+
 @hookimpl
 def add_options(parser):
     easyocr_options = parser.add_argument_group("EasyOCR", "EasyOCR options")
     easyocr_options.add_argument("--easyocr-no-gpu", action="store_false", dest="gpu")
+    easyocr_options.add_argument("--easyocr-batch-size", type=int, default=4)
+    easyocr_options.add_argument("--easyocr-workers", type=int, default=1)
     easyocr_options.add_argument(
         "--easyocr-debug-suppress-images",
         action="store_true",
@@ -146,15 +226,19 @@ def generate_hocr(input_file, output_hocr, output_text, options):
 
     @staticmethod
     def generate_pdf(input_file, output_pdf, output_text, options):
-        languages = [ISO_639_3_2[lang] for lang in options.languages]
-
         img = cv.imread(os.fspath(input_file))
         gray = cv.cvtColor(img, cv.COLOR_BGR2GRAY)
-        with GPU_SEMAPHORE:
-            reader = easyocr.Reader(languages, gpu=options.gpu)
-            raw_results = reader.readtext(gray)
-        results = [tidy_easyocr_result(r) for r in raw_results]
 
+        sync_data = options._easyocr_struct
+        manager: multiprocessing.managers.SyncManager = sync_data["manager"]
+        queue: multiprocessing.Queue[Task] = sync_data["queue"]
+        output_dict = manager.dict()
+        event = manager.Event()
+        queue.put((gray, output_dict, event))
+        event.wait()
+        raw_results = output_dict["output"]
+
+        results = [tidy_easyocr_result(r) for r in raw_results]
         text = " ".join([result.text for result in results])
         output_text.write_text(text)