diff --git a/sdk/core/qtutils.cpp b/sdk/core/qtutils.cpp
index 8714e25..fa43afd 100644
--- a/sdk/core/qtutils.cpp
+++ b/sdk/core/qtutils.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ QStringList QtUtils::getFiles(QDir dir, bool recursive)
 
     QStringList files;
     foreach (const QString &file, NaturalStringSort(dir.entryList(QDir::Files)))
-        files.append(QDir::cleanPath(dir.absoluteFilePath(file)));
+        files.append(dir.absoluteFilePath(file));
 
     if (!recursive) return files;
 
diff --git a/sdk/openbr_plugin.cpp b/sdk/openbr_plugin.cpp
index 7f84972..2fed86c 100644
--- a/sdk/openbr_plugin.cpp
+++ b/sdk/openbr_plugin.cpp
@@ -383,6 +383,15 @@ TemplateList TemplateList::fromGallery(const br::File &gallery)
         QScopedPointer<Gallery> i(Gallery::make(file));
         TemplateList newTemplates = i->read();
         newTemplates = newTemplates.mid(gallery.get<int>("pos", 0), gallery.get<int>("length", -1));
+
+        const int step = gallery.get<int>("step", 1);
+        if (step > 1) {
+            TemplateList downsampled; downsampled.reserve(newTemplates.size()/step);
+            for (int i=0; i<newTemplates.size(); i+=step)
+                downsampled.append(newTemplates[i]);
+            newTemplates = downsampled;
+        }
+
         if (gallery.get<bool>("reduce", false)) newTemplates = newTemplates.reduced();
         const int crossValidate = gallery.get<int>("crossValidate");
         if (crossValidate > 0) srand(0);
diff --git a/sdk/plugins/gallery.cpp b/sdk/plugins/gallery.cpp
index 03f2c42..50f1be6 100644
--- a/sdk/plugins/gallery.cpp
+++ b/sdk/plugins/gallery.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.                                            *
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 
+#include <QtConcurrentRun>
 #ifndef BR_EMBEDDED
 #include <QNetworkAccessManager>
 #include <QNetworkReply>
@@ -103,9 +104,14 @@ class EmptyGallery : public Gallery
 
         // Add immediate subfolders
         QDir dir(file);
-        foreach (const QString &folder, NaturalStringSort(dir.entryList(QDir::Dirs | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot)))
-            foreach (const QString &file, QtUtils::getFiles(dir.absoluteFilePath(folder), true))
-                templates.append(File(file, folder));
+        QList< QFuture<TemplateList> > futures;
+        foreach (const QString &folder, NaturalStringSort(dir.entryList(QDir::Dirs | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot))) {
+            const QDir subdir = dir.absoluteFilePath(folder);
+            if (Globals->parallelism) futures.append(QtConcurrent::run(&EmptyGallery::getTemplates, subdir));
+            else                      templates.append(getTemplates(subdir));
+        }
+        foreach (const QFuture<TemplateList> &future, futures)
+            templates.append(future.result());
 
         // Add root folder
         foreach (const QString &fileName, QtUtils::getFiles(file.name, false))
@@ -130,6 +136,15 @@ class EmptyGallery : public Gallery
             format->write(t);
         }
     }
+
+    static TemplateList getTemplates(const QDir &dir)
+    {
+        const QStringList files = QtUtils::getFiles(dir, true);
+        TemplateList templates; templates.reserve(files.size());
+        foreach (const QString &file, files)
+            templates.append(File(file, dir.dirName()));
+        return templates;
+    }
 };
 
 BR_REGISTER(Gallery, EmptyGallery)