diff --git a/crypto/stark/src/fri/fri_functions.rs b/crypto/stark/src/fri/fri_functions.rs
index 8bd355ec4..e3940aa1a 100644
--- a/crypto/stark/src/fri/fri_functions.rs
+++ b/crypto/stark/src/fri/fri_functions.rs
@@ -16,16 +16,42 @@ pub fn fold_evaluations_in_place<F: IsSubFieldOf<E>, E: IsField>(
     evals: &mut Vec<FieldElement<E>>,
     zeta: &FieldElement<E>,
     inv_twiddles: &[FieldElement<F>],
-) {
+) where
+    FieldElement<E>: Send + Sync,
+    FieldElement<F>: Sync,
+{
     let half = evals.len() / 2;
-    for j in 0..half {
-        let lo = &evals[2 * j];
-        let hi = &evals[2 * j + 1];
-        let sum = lo + hi;
-        let diff = lo - hi;
-        evals[j] = &sum + &(&inv_twiddles[j] * &(zeta * &diff));
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "parallel")]
+    {
+        use rayon::prelude::*;
+        // Parallel fold: split evals into pairs, compute folded value for each.
+        // Write results into a new Vec to avoid aliasing (evals[j] overlaps evals[2*j]).
+        let folded: Vec<FieldElement<E>> = (0..half)
+            .into_par_iter()
+            .map(|j| {
+                let lo = &evals[2 * j];
+                let hi = &evals[2 * j + 1];
+                let sum = lo + hi;
+                let diff = lo - hi;
+                &sum + &(&inv_twiddles[j] * &(zeta * &diff))
+            })
+            .collect();
+        evals.truncate(half);
+        evals[..half].clone_from_slice(&folded);
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "parallel"))]
+    {
+        for j in 0..half {
+            let lo = &evals[2 * j];
+            let hi = &evals[2 * j + 1];
+            let sum = lo + hi;
+            let diff = lo - hi;
+            evals[j] = &sum + &(&inv_twiddles[j] * &(zeta * &diff));
+        }
+        evals.truncate(half);
     }
-    evals.truncate(half);
 }
 
 /// Compute inverse twiddle factors for evaluation-form FRI folding.