diff --git a/core/src/entry.rs b/core/src/entry.rs
index 29e1f9c9e2..42d20b0b53 100644
--- a/core/src/entry.rs
+++ b/core/src/entry.rs
@@ -8,20 +8,32 @@ use crate::result::Result;
 use bincode::{deserialize, serialized_size};
 use chrono::prelude::Utc;
 use rayon::prelude::*;
+use rayon::ThreadPool;
 use solana_budget_api::budget_instruction;
+use solana_metrics::inc_new_counter_warn;
 use solana_sdk::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
 use solana_sdk::signature::{Keypair, KeypairUtil};
 use solana_sdk::transaction::Transaction;
 use std::borrow::Borrow;
+use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender};
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 
 #[cfg(feature = "cuda")]
 use crate::sigverify::poh_verify_many;
+use solana_sdk::timing;
 #[cfg(feature = "cuda")]
 use std::sync::Mutex;
 #[cfg(feature = "cuda")]
 use std::thread;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+pub const NUM_THREADS: u32 = 10;
+
+thread_local!(static PAR_THREAD_POOL: RefCell<ThreadPool> = RefCell::new(rayon::ThreadPoolBuilder::new()
+                    .num_threads(sys_info::cpu_num().unwrap_or(NUM_THREADS) as usize)
+                    .build()
+                    .unwrap()));
 
 pub type EntrySender = Sender<Vec<Entry>>;
 pub type EntryReceiver = Receiver<Vec<Entry>>;
@@ -211,6 +223,7 @@ where
 // an EntrySlice is a slice of Entries
 pub trait EntrySlice {
     /// Verifies the hashes and counts of a slice of transactions are all consistent.
+    fn verify_cpu(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool;
     fn verify(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool;
     fn to_shared_blobs(&self) -> Vec<SharedBlob>;
     fn to_blobs(&self) -> Vec<Blob>;
@@ -219,30 +232,53 @@ pub trait EntrySlice {
 }
 
 impl EntrySlice for [Entry] {
-    #[cfg(not(feature = "cuda"))]
-    fn verify(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool {
+    fn verify_cpu(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool {
+        let now = Instant::now();
         let genesis = [Entry {
             num_hashes: 0,
             hash: *start_hash,
             transactions: vec![],
         }];
         let entry_pairs = genesis.par_iter().chain(self).zip(self);
-        entry_pairs.all(|(x0, x1)| {
-            let r = x1.verify(&x0.hash);
-            if !r {
-                warn!(
-                    "entry invalid!: x0: {:?}, x1: {:?} num txs: {}",
-                    x0.hash,
-                    x1.hash,
-                    x1.transactions.len()
-                );
-            }
-            r
-        })
+        let res = PAR_THREAD_POOL.with(|thread_pool| {
+            thread_pool.borrow().install(|| {
+                entry_pairs.all(|(x0, x1)| {
+                    let r = x1.verify(&x0.hash);
+                    if !r {
+                        warn!(
+                            "entry invalid!: x0: {:?}, x1: {:?} num txs: {}",
+                            x0.hash,
+                            x1.hash,
+                            x1.transactions.len()
+                        );
+                    }
+                    r
+                })
+            })
+        });
+        inc_new_counter_warn!(
+            "entry_verify-duration",
+            timing::duration_as_ms(&now.elapsed()) as usize
+        );
+        res
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "cuda"))]
+    fn verify(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool {
+        self.verify_cpu(start_hash)
     }
 
     #[cfg(feature = "cuda")]
     fn verify(&self, start_hash: &Hash) -> bool {
+        inc_new_counter_warn!("entry_verify-num_entries", self.len() as usize);
+
+        // Use CPU verify if the batch length is < 1K
+        if self.len() < 1024 {
+            return self.verify_cpu(start_hash);
+        }
+
+        let start = Instant::now();
+
         let genesis = [Entry {
             num_hashes: 0,
             hash: *start_hash,
@@ -250,7 +286,7 @@ impl EntrySlice for [Entry] {
         }];
 
         let hashes: Vec<Hash> = genesis
-            .par_iter()
+            .iter()
             .chain(self)
             .map(|entry| entry.hash)
             .take(self.len())
@@ -265,6 +301,7 @@ impl EntrySlice for [Entry] {
         let hashes = Arc::new(Mutex::new(hashes));
         let hashes_clone = hashes.clone();
 
+        let gpu_wait = Instant::now();
         let gpu_verify_thread = thread::spawn(move || {
             let mut hashes = hashes_clone.lock().unwrap();
             let res;
@@ -281,36 +318,51 @@ impl EntrySlice for [Entry] {
             }
         });
 
-        let tx_hashes: Vec<Option<Hash>> = self
-            .into_par_iter()
-            .map(|entry| {
-                if entry.transactions.is_empty() {
-                    None
-                } else {
-                    Some(hash_transactions(&entry.transactions))
-                }
+        let tx_hashes: Vec<Option<Hash>> = PAR_THREAD_POOL.with(|thread_pool| {
+            thread_pool.borrow().install(|| {
+                self.into_par_iter()
+                    .map(|entry| {
+                        if entry.transactions.is_empty() {
+                            None
+                        } else {
+                            Some(hash_transactions(&entry.transactions))
+                        }
+                    })
+                    .collect()
             })
-            .collect();
+        });
 
         gpu_verify_thread.join().unwrap();
+        inc_new_counter_warn!(
+            "entry_verify-gpu_thread",
+            timing::duration_as_ms(&gpu_wait.elapsed()) as usize
+        );
 
         let hashes = Arc::try_unwrap(hashes).unwrap().into_inner().unwrap();
-        hashes
-            .into_par_iter()
-            .zip(tx_hashes)
-            .zip(self)
-            .all(|((hash, tx_hash), answer)| {
-                if answer.num_hashes == 0 {
-                    hash == answer.hash
-                } else {
-                    let mut poh = Poh::new(hash, None);
-                    if let Some(mixin) = tx_hash {
-                        poh.record(mixin).unwrap().hash == answer.hash
-                    } else {
-                        poh.tick().unwrap().hash == answer.hash
-                    }
-                }
-            })
+        let res =
+            PAR_THREAD_POOL.with(|thread_pool| {
+                thread_pool.borrow().install(|| {
+                    hashes.into_par_iter().zip(tx_hashes).zip(self).all(
+                        |((hash, tx_hash), answer)| {
+                            if answer.num_hashes == 0 {
+                                hash == answer.hash
+                            } else {
+                                let mut poh = Poh::new(hash, None);
+                                if let Some(mixin) = tx_hash {
+                                    poh.record(mixin).unwrap().hash == answer.hash
+                                } else {
+                                    poh.tick().unwrap().hash == answer.hash
+                                }
+                            }
+                        },
+                    )
+                })
+            });
+        inc_new_counter_warn!(
+            "entry_verify-duration",
+            timing::duration_as_ms(&start.elapsed()) as usize
+        );
+        res
     }
 
     fn to_blobs(&self) -> Vec<Blob> {