diff --git a/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yaml b/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yaml
index 32f49fb..4d0edbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/setup-python@c4e89fac7e8767b327bbad6cb4d859eda999cf08 # tag=v4
     - uses: actions/setup-go@84cbf8094393cdc5fe1fe1671ff2647332956b1a # tag=v3.2.1
       with:
-        go-version: 1.18.4
+        go-version: 1.21.3
 
     - name: Setup for pre-commit
       run: make setup
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 59f5c08..ea704f8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ You can use the `DefaultOptions` function for default terraformOptions to be set
 - `TerraformDir`, set to the absolute path of the module as the tests are in a subdirectory named `tests`
 - `VarFiles` is appended the with the `.tfvars` file in `test/variables` that has the same as the running test
 
+Using `DefaultOptions` ensures that the module directory is copied so that tests can be run in parallel with `t.Parallel()`
+
 ### Stages
 
 :information_source: You need stages if you expect e.g. the `terraform plan` to fail for a test and want to validate the errors that occur, see the examples below.
@@ -64,6 +66,10 @@ Available stages are:
 
 ```go
 func TestDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+  // If the test needs to run on its own, e.g. because
+  // of quota limitations, remove this line
+  t.Parallel()
+
 	helpers.RunNoValidate(t)
 }
 ```
@@ -76,6 +82,10 @@ When you need to define not only constant variables, but also dynamic ones, you
 
 ```go
 func TestWithVars(t *testing.T) {
+  // If the test needs to run on its own, e.g. because
+  // of quota limitations, remove this line
+  t.Parallel()
+
 	helpers.RunOptionsNoValidate(t, &terraform.Options{
 		Vars: map[string]interface{}{
 			"name": uuid.New(),
@@ -92,18 +102,18 @@ If a test is expected to fail on apply, defer the `destroy` stage and pass an er
 
 ```go
 func TestS3BucketDefault(t *testing.T) {
-	defer helpers.StageDestroy(t, TerraformDir)
+	t.Parallel()
+	terraformOptions := defaultOptions(t)
 
 	// set everything up for the terraform apply later
-	terraformOptions := terraform.WithDefaultRetryableErrors(t, &terraform.Options{
-		TerraformDir: TerraformDir,
-		Vars: map[string]interface{}{
-			"name":        uuid.New(),
-		},
-	})
+	terraformOptions.Vars = map[string]interface{}{
+		"name": uuid.New(),
+	}
 
-	helpers.StageSetup(t, TerraformDir, terraformOptions)
-	helpers.StageApply(t, TerraformDir, func(err error, stdoutStderr string) {
+	defer helpers.StageDestroy(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir)
+
+	helpers.StageSetup(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir, terraformOptions)
+	helpers.StageApply(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir, func(err error, stdoutStderr string) {
 		// This error is expected
 		if err != nil {
 			if !strings.Contains(stdoutStderr, "Error: Some expected error") {
@@ -120,21 +130,20 @@ For a test that is expected to fail on plan, use the `Cleanup` function.
 
 ```go
 func TestS3BucketBackupOnVersioningOff(t *testing.T) {
-	defer helpers.Cleanup(t, TerraformDir)
+	t.Parallel()
+	terraformOptions := defaultOptions(t)
 
-	terraformOptions := terraform.WithDefaultRetryableErrors(t, &terraform.Options{
-		TerraformDir: TerraformDir,
-		// NoColor is important for the string.Contains later
-		NoColor: true,
-		Vars: map[string]interface{}{
-			"name":        uuid.New(),
-			"backup":      "on",
-			"versioning":  "Disabled",
-		},
-	})
+	terraformOptions.NoColor = true
+	terraformOptions.Vars = map[string]interface{}{
+		"name":       uuid.New(),
+		"backup":     "on",
+		"versioning": "Disabled",
+	}
+
+	defer helpers.Cleanup(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir)
 
 	// The terraform plan is expected to fail as versioning can't be turned off with backups turned on.
-	helpers.StageSetup(t, TerraformDir, terraformOptions, func(err error, stdoutStderr string) {
+	helpers.StageSetup(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir, terraformOptions, func(err error, stdoutStderr string) {
 		// This error is expected, the precondition failed
 		if err != nil {
 			if !strings.Contains(stdoutStderr, "Error: Resource precondition failed") || !strings.Contains(stdoutStderr, "Versioning cannot be disabled when backups are enabled") {
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 0a47566..a83646e 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/modules/files"
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/modules/terraform"
+	test_structure "github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/modules/test-structure"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -28,5 +29,9 @@ func DefaultOptions(t *testing.T, terraformOptions *terraform.Options) *terrafor
 		terraformOptions.TerraformDir = filepath.Join(path, "../")
 	}
 
+	// This enables parallel testing by ensuring that every TerraformDir lives in its own temporary path
+	tempTestFolder := test_structure.CopyTerraformFolderToTemp(t, terraformOptions.TerraformDir, ".")
+	terraformOptions.TerraformDir = tempTestFolder
+
 	return terraform.WithDefaultRetryableErrors(t, terraformOptions)
 }
diff --git a/run.go b/run.go
index 05b82a7..a38eff8 100644
--- a/run.go
+++ b/run.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gruntwork-io/terratest/modules/terraform"
 )
 
-func RunValidate(t *testing.T, terraformOptions terraform.Options, validateFunc func()) {
+func RunValidate(t *testing.T, _ terraform.Options, validateFunc func()) {
 	RunOptionsValidate(t, &terraform.Options{}, validateFunc)
 }