diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index 14d7103..c378301 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 import json
 import logging
+import multiprocessing as mp
 import os
 import tarfile
 import tempfile
 import socket
-
 import torch
 
 from pytorch_transformers import cached_path
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 HF_FINETUNED_MODEL = "https://s3.amazonaws.com/models.huggingface.co/transfer-learning-chatbot/gpt_personachat_cache.tar.gz"
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__file__)
+logger.setLevel(level=logging.DEBUG)
+mp.log_to_stderr(level=logging.DEBUG)
+mp_logger = mp.get_logger()
+mp_logger.setLevel(level=logging.DEBUG)
+
 
 def download_pretrained_model():
     """ Download and extract finetuned model from S3 """
@@ -29,6 +34,31 @@ def download_pretrained_model():
     return tempdir
 
 
+def worker_tokenize(args_list):
+    """Target function for multiprocessing text encoding. All input args are included in a list as workaround
+    for worker_tokenize() calling itself recursively with constant tokenizer as one argument.
+
+    IMPORTANT: This function has to be implemented globally (outside of get_dataset()) to avoid
+    multiprocessing error 'AttributeError: Can't pickle local object 'get_dataset.<locals>.worker_tokenize''.
+
+    Args:
+        args_list: [obj, tokenizer] as workaround for recursive self-calling of function within itself."""
+    obj = args_list[0]
+    tokenizer = args_list[1]
+    if isinstance(obj, str):
+        return tokenizer.convert_tokens_to_ids(tokenizer.tokenize(obj))
+    if isinstance(obj, dict):
+        worker_tokenize._dict_key_calls += 1
+        mp_logger.debug(
+            'Encoding {}. obj.key() = {}, obj.items().__len__() = {}'.format(worker_tokenize._dict_key_calls,
+                                                                             obj.keys(), obj.items().__len__()))
+        return dict((n, worker_tokenize([o, tokenizer])) for n, o in obj.items())
+    return list(worker_tokenize([o, tokenizer]) for o in obj)
+
+
+worker_tokenize._dict_key_calls = 0
+
+
 def get_dataset(tokenizer, dataset_path, dataset_cache=None):
     """ Get PERSONACHAT from S3 """
     dataset_path = dataset_path or PERSONACHAT_URL
@@ -41,19 +71,42 @@ def get_dataset(tokenizer, dataset_path, dataset_cache=None):
         personachat_file = cached_path(dataset_path)
         with open(personachat_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
             dataset = json.loads(f.read())
-
         logger.info("Tokenize and encode the dataset")
+
         def tokenize(obj):
             if isinstance(obj, str):
                 return tokenizer.convert_tokens_to_ids(tokenizer.tokenize(obj))
             if isinstance(obj, dict):
+                tokenize.dict_key_calls += 1
+                logger.debug(
+                    'Encoding {}. obj.keys() = {}, obj.items().__len__() = {}'.format(tokenize.dict_key_calls,
+                                                                                      obj.keys(),
+                                                                                      obj.items().__len__()))
                 return dict((n, tokenize(o)) for n, o in obj.items())
-            return list(tokenize(o) for o in obj)
+            min_samples_for_multiprocessing = 100
+            if obj.__len__() > min_samples_for_multiprocessing:
+                logger.debug('  Encoding VERY LONG list of obj.__len__() = {}'.format(obj.__len__()))
+                logger.debug('  Encoding list with with multiprocessing...')
+                """functools.partial does not work becuase tokenizer has to be handed recusively together with obj to 
+                worker_tokenize again. As a workaround of not knowing how to handle splash-operator for possible 
+                dict-output and **kwargs input, the list_args is implemented."""
+                with mp.Pool(processes=mp.cpu_count() - 1) as pool:
+                    results = pool.map(func=worker_tokenize,
+                                       iterable=[[o, tokenizer] for o in obj])
+                return results
+            else:
+                logger.debug('  Encoding list of obj.__len__() = {}'.format(obj.__len__()))
+                return list(tokenize(o) for o in obj)
+
+        tokenize.dict_key_calls = 0
+
         dataset = tokenize(dataset)
+        # dataset = tokenize(dataset)
         if dataset_cache:
             torch.save(dataset, dataset_cache)
     return dataset
 
+
 def get_dataset_personalities(tokenizer, dataset_path, dataset_cache=None):
     """ Get personalities from PERSONACHAT """
     dataset_path = dataset_path or PERSONACHAT_URL
@@ -68,14 +121,16 @@ def get_dataset_personalities(tokenizer, dataset_path, dataset_cache=None):
             personachat = json.loads(f.read())
 
         logger.info("Tokenize and encode the dataset")
+
         def tokenize(obj):
             if isinstance(obj, str):
                 return tokenizer.convert_tokens_to_ids(tokenizer.tokenize(obj))
             if isinstance(obj, dict):
                 return dict((n, tokenize(o)) for n, o in obj.items())
             return list(tokenize(o) for o in obj)
+
         personachat = tokenize(personachat)
-        torch.save(personachat, dataset_cache)
+        # torch.save(personachat, dataset_cache)
 
     logger.info("Filter personalities")
     personalities = []
@@ -86,6 +141,7 @@ def tokenize(obj):
     logger.info("Gathered {} personalities".format(len(personalities)))
     return personalities
 
+
 class AttrDict(dict):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super(AttrDict, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)