diff --git a/sphinx/builders/__init__.py b/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
index 2dd972ecfe0..e58242ed9db 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import codecs
+import multiprocessing
 import pickle
+import queue
 import re
 import time
 from contextlib import nullcontext
@@ -590,39 +592,60 @@ def _read_serial(self, docnames: list[str]) -> None:
             self.read_doc(docname)
 
     def _read_parallel(self, docnames: list[str], nproc: int) -> None:
-        chunks = make_chunks(docnames, nproc)
+        # status iterator is currently not very helpful, it notifies when workers join back.
+        # in theory there could be a status update queue that runs in the main thread.
 
         # create a status_iterator to step progressbar after reading a document
         # (see: ``merge()`` function)
         progress = status_iterator(
-            chunks,
-            __('reading sources... '),
+            range(nproc),
+            __('Worker returned.. '),
             'purple',
-            len(chunks),
+            nproc,
             self.config.verbosity,
         )
 
-        # clear all outdated docs at once
+        # clear all outdated docs at once so that forked environments are cleared
         for docname in docnames:
             self.events.emit('env-purge-doc', self.env, docname)
             self.env.clear_doc(docname)
 
-        def read_process(docs: list[str]) -> bytes:
-            self.env._app = self._app
-            for docname in docs:
-                self.read_doc(docname, _cache=False)
-            # allow pickling self to send it back
-            return pickle.dumps(self.env, pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)
+        work_queue: multiprocessing.Queue[str | None] = multiprocessing.Queue()
+
+        # load up all docs to be processed
+        for doc in docnames:
+            work_queue.put(doc)
 
-        def merge(docs: list[str], otherenv: bytes) -> None:
-            env = pickle.loads(otherenv)
-            self.env.merge_info_from(docs, env, self._app)
+        # Add sentinel values to stop workers after all tasks are done
+        # Not if there is some edge case where this is not reliable enough
+        for _ in range(nproc):
+            work_queue.put(None)
 
+        def read_worker(work_queue: multiprocessing.Queue[str]) -> bytes:
+            self.env._app = self._app
+            processed_docs = []
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    task = work_queue.get(timeout=1)  # timeout to allow graceful exit
+                except queue.Empty:
+                    break
+                if task is None:
+                    break
+                self.read_doc(task, _cache=False)
+                processed_docs.append(task)
+            # Return both processed docs and environment
+            return pickle.dumps((processed_docs, self.env), pickle.HIGHEST_PROTOCOL)
+
+        def merge(work_queue: multiprocessing.Queue[str], results: bytes) -> None:
+            processed_docs, env = pickle.loads(results)
+            # Only merge the documents that this worker actually processed
+            self.env.merge_info_from(processed_docs, env, self._app)
             next(progress)
 
+        # Spawn nproc workers to work through queue
         tasks = ParallelTasks(nproc)
-        for chunk in chunks:
-            tasks.add_task(read_process, chunk, merge)
+        for _ in range(nproc):
+            tasks.add_task(read_worker, work_queue, merge)
 
         # make sure all threads have finished
         tasks.join()