diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index cb48f86509a3f..a78ef1fe36a66 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3130,6 +3130,7 @@
 				"source-map-loader": "^0.2.4",
 				"stylelint": "^9.10.1",
 				"stylelint-config-wordpress": "^13.1.0",
+				"thread-loader": "^2.1.2",
 				"webpack": "4.8.3",
 				"webpack-bundle-analyzer": "^3.0.3",
 				"webpack-cli": "^3.1.2",
@@ -20556,9 +20557,9 @@
 			},
 			"dependencies": {
 				"ajv": {
-					"version": "6.9.1",
-					"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ajv/-/ajv-6.9.1.tgz",
-					"integrity": "sha512-XDN92U311aINL77ieWHmqCcNlwjoP5cHXDxIxbf2MaPYuCXOHS7gHH8jktxeK5omgd52XbSTX6a4Piwd1pQmzA==",
+					"version": "6.10.0",
+					"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ajv/-/ajv-6.10.0.tgz",
+					"integrity": "sha512-nffhOpkymDECQyR0mnsUtoCE8RlX38G0rYP+wgLWFyZuUyuuojSSvi/+euOiQBIn63whYwYVIIH1TvE3tu4OEg==",
 					"dev": true,
 					"requires": {
 						"fast-deep-equal": "^2.0.1",
@@ -22138,6 +22139,25 @@
 			"integrity": "sha1-f17oI66AUgfACvLfSoTsP8+lcLQ=",
 			"dev": true
 		},
+		"thread-loader": {
+			"version": "2.1.2",
+			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/thread-loader/-/thread-loader-2.1.2.tgz",
+			"integrity": "sha512-7xpuc9Ifg6WU+QYw/8uUqNdRwMD+N5gjwHKMqETrs96Qn+7BHwECpt2Brzr4HFlf4IAkZsayNhmGdbkBsTJ//w==",
+			"dev": true,
+			"requires": {
+				"loader-runner": "^2.3.1",
+				"loader-utils": "^1.1.0",
+				"neo-async": "^2.6.0"
+			},
+			"dependencies": {
+				"neo-async": {
+					"version": "2.6.0",
+					"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/neo-async/-/neo-async-2.6.0.tgz",
+					"integrity": "sha512-MFh0d/Wa7vkKO3Y3LlacqAEeHK0mckVqzDieUKTT+KGxi+zIpeVsFxymkIiRpbpDziHc290Xr9A1O4Om7otoRA==",
+					"dev": true
+				}
+			}
+		},
 		"throat": {
 			"version": "4.1.0",
 			"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/throat/-/throat-4.1.0.tgz",
@@ -23182,9 +23202,9 @@
 			},
 			"dependencies": {
 				"ajv": {
-					"version": "6.9.1",
-					"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ajv/-/ajv-6.9.1.tgz",
-					"integrity": "sha512-XDN92U311aINL77ieWHmqCcNlwjoP5cHXDxIxbf2MaPYuCXOHS7gHH8jktxeK5omgd52XbSTX6a4Piwd1pQmzA==",
+					"version": "6.10.0",
+					"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ajv/-/ajv-6.10.0.tgz",
+					"integrity": "sha512-nffhOpkymDECQyR0mnsUtoCE8RlX38G0rYP+wgLWFyZuUyuuojSSvi/+euOiQBIn63whYwYVIIH1TvE3tu4OEg==",
 					"dev": true,
 					"requires": {
 						"fast-deep-equal": "^2.0.1",
diff --git a/packages/scripts/config/webpack.config.js b/packages/scripts/config/webpack.config.js
index 9a1daabf5d752..65ec3878e7808 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/config/webpack.config.js
+++ b/packages/scripts/config/webpack.config.js
@@ -66,12 +66,6 @@ const externals = [
 const isProduction = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
 const mode = isProduction ? 'production' : 'development';
 
-const getBabelLoaderOptions = () => hasBabelConfig() ? {} : {
-	babelrc: false,
-	configFile: false,
-	presets: [ require.resolve( '@wordpress/babel-preset-default' ) ],
-};
-
 const config = {
 	mode,
 	entry: {
@@ -89,18 +83,29 @@ const config = {
 	},
 	module: {
 		rules: [
-			{
-				test: /\.js$/,
-				use: require.resolve( 'source-map-loader' ),
-				enforce: 'pre',
-			},
 			{
 				test: /\.js$/,
 				exclude: /node_modules/,
-				use: {
-					loader: require.resolve( 'babel-loader' ),
-					options: getBabelLoaderOptions(),
-				},
+				use: [
+					require.resolve( 'thread-loader' ),
+					{
+						loader: require.resolve( 'babel-loader' ),
+						options: {
+							// Babel uses a directory within local node_modules
+							// by default. Use the environment variable option
+							// to enable more persistent caching.
+							cacheDirectory: process.env.BABEL_CACHE_DIRECTORY || true,
+
+							// Provide a fallback configuration if there's not
+							// one explicitly available in the project.
+							...( ! hasBabelConfig() && {
+								babelrc: false,
+								configFile: false,
+								presets: [ require.resolve( '@wordpress/babel-preset-default' ) ],
+							} ),
+						},
+					},
+				],
 			},
 		],
 	},
@@ -121,6 +126,11 @@ if ( ! isProduction ) {
 	// WP_DEVTOOL global variable controls how source maps are generated.
 	// See: https://webpack.js.org/configuration/devtool/#devtool.
 	config.devtool = process.env.WP_DEVTOOL || 'source-map';
+	config.module.rules.unshift( {
+		test: /\.js$/,
+		use: require.resolve( 'source-map-loader' ),
+		enforce: 'pre',
+	} );
 }
 
 module.exports = config;
diff --git a/packages/scripts/package.json b/packages/scripts/package.json
index bbc3cb49f9297..2b378089eef6e 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/package.json
+++ b/packages/scripts/package.json
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 		"source-map-loader": "^0.2.4",
 		"stylelint": "^9.10.1",
 		"stylelint-config-wordpress": "^13.1.0",
+		"thread-loader": "^2.1.2",
 		"webpack": "4.8.3",
 		"webpack-bundle-analyzer": "^3.0.3",
 		"webpack-cli": "^3.1.2",