diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7aaef58..d558912 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ var results = parallel.withMaxConcurrency(10).map(ids, this::fetchById);
 ```
 
 Each task runs on its own virtual thread. Results stay in input order.
-MDC and trace context survive the hop.
+MDC and trace context survive the hop. If any task fails, remaining tasks
+are interrupted — no wasted work running in the background.
 
 ### Usage
 
diff --git a/blockless-tests/src/test/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/ParallelTest.java b/blockless-tests/src/test/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/ParallelTest.java
index c2ced5c..e6b312f 100644
--- a/blockless-tests/src/test/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/ParallelTest.java
+++ b/blockless-tests/src/test/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/ParallelTest.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ void mapReturnsResultsInInputOrder() {
             i -> {
               try {
                 Thread.sleep(i * 20L);
-              } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+              } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
                 Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
               }
               return i * 10;
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void mapRunsConcurrently() {
           maxConcurrent.updateAndGet(max -> Math.max(max, c));
           try {
             Thread.sleep(50);
-          } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+          } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
             Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
           }
           current.decrementAndGet();
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ void limitsConcurrentTasks() {
             maxConcurrent.updateAndGet(max -> Math.max(max, c));
             try {
               Thread.sleep(50);
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
               Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
             }
             current.decrementAndGet();
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ void stillRunsConcurrently() {
             maxConcurrent.updateAndGet(max -> Math.max(max, c));
             try {
               Thread.sleep(50);
-            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
               Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
             }
             current.decrementAndGet();
@@ -230,4 +230,91 @@ void rejectsZeroConcurrency() {
           () -> Parallel.create(new Slf4jMdcContextPropagator()).withMaxConcurrency(0));
     }
   }
+
+  @Nested
+  class CancelOnFailure {
+
+    @Test
+    void mapInterruptsRemainingTasksOnFailure() {
+      final var interrupted = new AtomicInteger(0);
+
+      assertThrows(
+          RuntimeException.class,
+          () ->
+              parallel.map(
+                  List.of(1, 2, 3),
+                  i -> {
+                    if (i == 1) {
+                      throw new RuntimeException("fail fast");
+                    }
+                    try {
+                      Thread.sleep(5000);
+                    } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+                      interrupted.incrementAndGet();
+                    }
+                    return i;
+                  }));
+
+      // Give interrupts a moment to propagate
+      try {
+        Thread.sleep(100);
+      } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+        Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+      }
+      assertTrue(
+          interrupted.get() > 0, "remaining tasks should have been interrupted, but none were");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void asMapInterruptsRemainingTasksOnFailure() {
+      final var interrupted = new AtomicInteger(0);
+
+      assertThrows(
+          RuntimeException.class,
+          () ->
+              parallel.asMap(
+                  List.of("a", "b", "c"),
+                  key -> {
+                    if ("a".equals(key)) {
+                      throw new RuntimeException("fail fast");
+                    }
+                    try {
+                      Thread.sleep(5000);
+                    } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+                      interrupted.incrementAndGet();
+                    }
+                    return key.toUpperCase();
+                  }));
+
+      try {
+        Thread.sleep(100);
+      } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+        Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+      }
+      assertTrue(
+          interrupted.get() > 0, "remaining tasks should have been interrupted, but none were");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void toEitherDoesNotInterruptOnFailure() {
+      final var completed = new AtomicInteger(0);
+
+      parallel.toEither(
+          List.of(1, 2, 3),
+          i -> {
+            if (i == 1) {
+              throw new RuntimeException("fail");
+            }
+            try {
+              Thread.sleep(50);
+            } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+              Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+            }
+            completed.incrementAndGet();
+            return i;
+          });
+
+      assertEquals(2, completed.get(), "toEither should let all tasks run to completion");
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Blockless.java b/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Blockless.java
index 6a4fa51..127abf9 100644
--- a/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Blockless.java
+++ b/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Blockless.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public static <T> Supplier<T> supplier(CompletionStage<T> stage) {
             () -> {
               try {
                 latch.await();
-              } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+              } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
                 Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
                 throwable.set(e);
               }
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public static <T> Supplier<T> supplier(CompletionStage<T> stage) {
     return () -> {
       try {
         thread.join();
-      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
         Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
         throwable.set(e);
       }
@@ -89,17 +89,17 @@ public static <T> Supplier<T> supplier(Callable<T> callable) {
             () -> {
               try {
                 result.set(callable.call());
-              } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+              } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
                 Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
                 throwable.set(e);
-              } catch (Exception e) {
+              } catch (final Exception e) {
                 throwable.set(e);
               }
             });
     return () -> {
       try {
         thread.join();
-      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
         Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
         throwable.set(e);
       }
@@ -122,10 +122,54 @@ public static <T> T get(Callable<T> callable) {
     return supplier(callable).get();
   }
 
+  /** A task handle that exposes both the result supplier and the underlying virtual thread. */
+  record AsyncTask<T>(Supplier<T> supplier, Thread thread) {
+
+    T get() {
+      return supplier.get();
+    }
+
+    void interrupt() {
+      thread.interrupt();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Like {@link #supplier(Callable)} but returns the thread handle for cancellation. */
+  static <T> AsyncTask<T> asyncTask(Callable<T> callable) {
+    final var result = new AtomicReference<T>();
+    final var throwable = new AtomicReference<Throwable>();
+    final var thread =
+        Thread.startVirtualThread(
+            () -> {
+              try {
+                result.set(callable.call());
+              } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+                throwable.set(e);
+              } catch (final Exception e) {
+                throwable.set(e);
+              }
+            });
+    final Supplier<T> supplier =
+        () -> {
+          try {
+            thread.join();
+          } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
+            Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+            throwable.set(e);
+          }
+          if (throwable.get() != null) {
+            throw wrapIfChecked(throwable.get());
+          }
+          return result.get();
+        };
+    return new AsyncTask<>(supplier, thread);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Rethrows RuntimeException subclasses directly; wraps checked exceptions in RuntimeException.
    */
-  private static RuntimeException wrapIfChecked(Throwable t) {
+  static RuntimeException wrapIfChecked(Throwable t) {
     if (t instanceof RuntimeException re) {
       return re;
     }
diff --git a/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Parallel.java b/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Parallel.java
index 2a32fab..6670744 100644
--- a/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Parallel.java
+++ b/blockless/src/main/java/io/github/pjlabs/blockless/Parallel.java
@@ -74,35 +74,54 @@ private <T> Supplier<T> bounded(Supplier<T> task) {
     };
   }
 
+  /** Creates an AsyncTask with thread handle for cancellation support. */
+  private <T> Blockless.AsyncTask<T> fork(Supplier<T> task) {
+    Objects.requireNonNull(task, "task");
+    final var effective = semaphore != null ? bounded(task) : task;
+    return Blockless.asyncTask(CallableContext.wrap(effective::get, propagators));
+  }
+
   /**
    * Applies {@code fn} to each element on virtual threads with context propagation, returning
-   * results in input order. Blocks until all tasks complete.
+   * results in input order. Blocks until all tasks complete. If any task fails, remaining tasks are
+   * interrupted.
    */
   public <T, R> List<R> map(List<T> items, Function<T, R> fn) {
     Objects.requireNonNull(items, "items");
     Objects.requireNonNull(fn, "fn");
 
-    final var suppliers = items.stream().map(item -> async(() -> fn.apply(item))).toList();
+    final var tasks = items.stream().map(item -> fork(() -> fn.apply(item))).toList();
 
-    return suppliers.stream().map(Supplier::get).toList();
+    try {
+      return tasks.stream().map(Blockless.AsyncTask::get).toList();
+    } catch (final RuntimeException e) {
+      tasks.forEach(Blockless.AsyncTask::interrupt);
+      throw e;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
    * Computes a value for each key on virtual threads with context propagation, returning a map
-   * preserving key iteration order. Blocks until all tasks complete.
+   * preserving key iteration order. Blocks until all tasks complete. If any task fails, remaining
+   * tasks are interrupted.
    */
   public <K, V> Map<K, V> asMap(Collection<K> keys, Function<K, V> valueMapper) {
     Objects.requireNonNull(keys, "keys");
     Objects.requireNonNull(valueMapper, "valueMapper");
 
     final var entries =
-        keys.stream().map(key -> Map.entry(key, async(() -> valueMapper.apply(key)))).toList();
+        keys.stream().map(key -> Map.entry(key, fork(() -> valueMapper.apply(key)))).toList();
 
-    final var result = new LinkedHashMap<K, V>();
-    for (var entry : entries) {
-      result.put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue().get());
+    try {
+      final var result = new LinkedHashMap<K, V>();
+      for (final var entry : entries) {
+        result.put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue().get());
+      }
+      return result;
+    } catch (final RuntimeException e) {
+      entries.forEach(entry -> entry.getValue().interrupt());
+      throw e;
     }
-    return result;
   }
 
   /**