diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@
 Shelly does not change the nature of shell scripting (text in, text out).
 If you want something more revolutionary you might try these:
 
-* [Plush](https://github.com/mzero/plush) shell with nice GUI. Written in Haskell. Actively developed, unlike [TermKit](https://github.com/unconed/TermKit/)
-* PowerShell is proably the best known.
+* PowerShell is probably the best known.
 * [Haskell project](https://github.com/pkamenarsky/ytools) using typed JSON
-* [untyped JSON](https://github.com/benbernard/RecordStream)
+* [RecordStream](https://github.com/benbernard/RecordStream) untyped JSON]
 
 
 ## Usage
@@ -145,7 +144,7 @@
 ### Escaping
 
 By default, all commands are shell escaped.
-If you want the shell to interpret special characters such as `*`, just use `escaping False $ do ...` 
+If you want the shell to interpret special characters such as `*`, just use `escaping False $ do ...`
 
 ### Using Text and FilePath together
 
@@ -180,6 +179,4 @@
 
 ## Future plans
 
-* improved SSH API
-* more efficient piping/redirecting (issue #18)
-* more efficient find functions (issue #23)
+* Don't use the filepath library
diff --git a/shelly.cabal b/shelly.cabal
--- a/shelly.cabal
+++ b/shelly.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Name:       shelly
 
-Version:     1.6.8.7
+Version:     1.6.9
 Synopsis:    shell-like (systems) programming in Haskell
 
 Description: Shelly provides convenient systems programming in Haskell,
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
     ReadFileSpec
     RmSpec
     RunSpec
+    SshSpec
     Shelly
     Shelly.Base
     Shelly.Find
diff --git a/src/Shelly.hs b/src/Shelly.hs
--- a/src/Shelly.hs
+++ b/src/Shelly.hs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
          , bash, bash_, bashPipeFail
          , (-|-), lastStderr, setStdin, lastExitCode
          , command, command_, command1, command1_
-         , sshPairs, sshPairs_, sshPairsWithOptions
+         , sshPairs,sshPairsPar, sshPairs_,sshPairsPar_, sshPairsWithOptions
+         , sshCommandText, SshMode(..)
          , ShellCmd(..), CmdArg (..)
 
          -- * Running commands Using handles
@@ -319,7 +320,13 @@
     RawCommand (encodeString fullExe) (map T.unpack args)
   where
     findExe :: FilePath -> Sh FilePath
-    findExe fp = do
+    findExe
+#if defined(mingw32_HOST_OS) || (defined(__GLASGOW_HASKELL__) && __GLASGOW_HASKELL__ < 708)
+      fp
+#else
+      _fp
+#endif
+      = do
         mExe <- whichEith exe
         case mExe of
           Right execFp -> return execFp
@@ -1039,11 +1046,19 @@
 surround :: Char -> Text -> Text
 surround c t = T.cons c $ T.snoc t c
 
+data SshMode = ParSsh | SeqSsh
+
 -- | same as 'sshPairs', but returns ()
 sshPairs_ :: Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh ()
 sshPairs_ _ [] = return ()
 sshPairs_ server cmds = sshPairs' run_ server cmds
 
+-- | same as 'sshPairsP', but returns ()
+
+sshPairsPar_ :: Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh ()
+sshPairsPar_ _ [] = return ()
+sshPairsPar_ server cmds = sshPairsPar' run_ server cmds
+
 -- | run commands over SSH.
 -- An ssh executable is expected in your path.
 -- Commands are in the same form as 'run', but given as pairs
@@ -1056,28 +1071,39 @@
 -- Internally the list of commands are combined with the string @&&@ before given to ssh.
 sshPairs :: Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh Text
 sshPairs _ [] = return ""
-sshPairs server cmds = sshPairsWithOptions' run server [] cmds
+sshPairs server cmds = sshPairsWithOptions' run server [] cmds SeqSsh
 
+-- | Same as sshPairs, but combines commands with the string @&@, so they will be started in parallell.
+sshPairsPar :: Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh Text
+sshPairsPar _ [] = return ""
+sshPairsPar server cmds = sshPairsWithOptions' run server [] cmds ParSsh
+
+sshPairsPar' :: (FilePath -> [Text] -> Sh a) -> Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh a
+sshPairsPar' run' server actions = sshPairsWithOptions' run' server [] actions ParSsh
+
 sshPairs' :: (FilePath -> [Text] -> Sh a) -> Text -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh a
-sshPairs' run' server actions = sshPairsWithOptions' run' server [] actions
-   
--- | Like 'sshPairs', but allows for arguments to the call to ssh. 
+sshPairs' run' server actions = sshPairsWithOptions' run' server [] actions SeqSsh
+
+-- | Like 'sshPairs', but allows for arguments to the call to ssh.
 sshPairsWithOptions :: Text                  -- ^ Server name.
                     -> [Text]                -- ^ Arguments to ssh (e.g. ["-p","22"]).
                     -> [(FilePath, [Text])]  -- ^ Pairs of commands to run on the remote.
                     -> Sh Text               -- ^ Returns the standard output.
 sshPairsWithOptions _ _ [] = return ""
-sshPairsWithOptions server sshargs cmds = sshPairsWithOptions' run server sshargs cmds
+sshPairsWithOptions server sshargs cmds = sshPairsWithOptions' run server sshargs cmds SeqSsh
 
-sshPairsWithOptions' :: (FilePath -> [Text] -> Sh a) -> Text -> [Text] -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> Sh a
-sshPairsWithOptions' run' server sshargs actions = escaping False $ do
-    let ssh_commands = surround '\'' $ foldl1
-          (\memo next -> memo <> " && " <> next)
-          (map toSSH actions)
-    run' "ssh" ([server] ++ sshargs ++ [ssh_commands])
+sshPairsWithOptions' :: (FilePath -> [Text] -> Sh a) -> Text -> [Text] -> [(FilePath, [Text])] -> SshMode  -> Sh a
+sshPairsWithOptions' run' server sshargs actions mode = escaping False $ do
+    run' "ssh" ([server] ++ sshargs ++ [sshCommandText actions mode])
+
+sshCommandText :: [(FilePath, [Text])] -> SshMode -> Text
+sshCommandText actions mode =
+    surround '"' (foldl1 joiner (map toSSH actions))
   where
     toSSH (exe,args) = show_command exe args
-
+    joiner memo next = case mode of
+        SeqSsh -> memo <> " && " <> next
+        ParSsh -> memo <> " & " <> next
 
 data QuietExit = QuietExit Int deriving (Show, Typeable)
 instance Exception QuietExit
diff --git a/test/src/FindSpec.hs b/test/src/FindSpec.hs
--- a/test/src/FindSpec.hs
+++ b/test/src/FindSpec.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
       res <- shelly $ cd "test/src" >> ls "."
       sort res @?= ["./CopySpec.hs", "./EnvSpec.hs", "./FailureSpec.hs",
                     "./FindSpec.hs", "./Help.hs", "./LiftedSpec.hs", "./LogWithSpec.hs", "./MoveSpec.hs",
-                    "./ReadFileSpec.hs", "./RmSpec.hs", "./RunSpec.hs",
+                    "./ReadFileSpec.hs", "./RmSpec.hs", "./RunSpec.hs", "./SshSpec.hs",
                     "./TestInit.hs", "./TestMain.hs",
                     "./WhichSpec.hs", "./WriteSpec.hs", "./sleep.hs"]
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
       res <- shelly $ cd "test/src" >> find "."
       sort res @?= ["./CopySpec.hs", "./EnvSpec.hs", "./FailureSpec.hs",
                     "./FindSpec.hs", "./Help.hs", "./LiftedSpec.hs", "./LogWithSpec.hs", "./MoveSpec.hs",
-                    "./ReadFileSpec.hs", "./RmSpec.hs", "./RunSpec.hs",
+                    "./ReadFileSpec.hs", "./RmSpec.hs", "./RunSpec.hs", "./SshSpec.hs",
                     "./TestInit.hs", "./TestMain.hs",
                     "./WhichSpec.hs", "./WriteSpec.hs", "./sleep.hs"]
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
       sort res @?= ["test/src/CopySpec.hs", "test/src/EnvSpec.hs", "test/src/FailureSpec.hs",
                     "test/src/FindSpec.hs", "test/src/Help.hs", "test/src/LiftedSpec.hs",
                     "test/src/LogWithSpec.hs", "test/src/MoveSpec.hs", "test/src/ReadFileSpec.hs",
-                    "test/src/RmSpec.hs", "test/src/RunSpec.hs",
+                    "test/src/RmSpec.hs", "test/src/RunSpec.hs", "test/src/SshSpec.hs",
                     "test/src/TestInit.hs", "test/src/TestMain.hs", "test/src/WhichSpec.hs", "test/src/WriteSpec.hs",
                     "test/src/sleep.hs"]
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
       res <- shelly $ relPath "test/src" >>= find >>= mapM (relativeTo "test/src")
       sort res @?= ["CopySpec.hs", "EnvSpec.hs", "FailureSpec.hs", "FindSpec.hs",
                     "Help.hs", "LiftedSpec.hs", "LogWithSpec.hs", "MoveSpec.hs",
-                    "ReadFileSpec.hs", "RmSpec.hs", "RunSpec.hs",
+                    "ReadFileSpec.hs", "RmSpec.hs", "RunSpec.hs", "SshSpec.hs",
                     "TestInit.hs", "TestMain.hs",
                     "WhichSpec.hs", "WriteSpec.hs", "sleep.hs"]
 
diff --git a/test/src/SshSpec.hs b/test/src/SshSpec.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/src/SshSpec.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+module SshSpec ( sshSpec ) where
+
+import TestInit
+
+sshSpec :: Spec
+sshSpec = do
+  describe "sshCommandText" $ do
+    it "simple command" $ do
+      let res = sshCommandText [("wibble", [])] SeqSsh
+      res @?= "\"wibble\""
+
+    it "space command" $ do
+      let res = sshCommandText [("to", ["outer space"])] SeqSsh
+      res @?= "\"to 'outer space'\""
+
+    it "multiple space commands" $ do
+      let res = sshCommandText [("to", ["outer space"]), ("and", ["back again"])] SeqSsh
+      res @?= "\"to 'outer space' && and 'back again'\""
diff --git a/test/src/TestMain.hs b/test/src/TestMain.hs
--- a/test/src/TestMain.hs
+++ b/test/src/TestMain.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import CopySpec
 import LiftedSpec
 import RunSpec
+import SshSpec
 
 import Test.Hspec
 
@@ -28,3 +29,4 @@
     copySpec
     liftedSpec
     runSpec
+    sshSpec
diff --git a/test/testall b/test/testall
--- a/test/testall
+++ b/test/testall
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 WhichSpec
 WriteSpec
 RunSpec
+SshSpec
 '
 
 EXCL=""