diff --git a/bioconda_utils/build.py b/bioconda_utils/build.py
index ec17e963cf..f1d3aecfbf 100644
--- a/bioconda_utils/build.py
+++ b/bioconda_utils/build.py
@@ -7,14 +7,12 @@
 import os
 import logging
 import itertools
-import time
 
 from typing import List, Optional
 from bioconda_utils.skiplist import Skiplist
 from bioconda_utils.build_failure import BuildFailureRecord
 from bioconda_utils.githandler import GitHandler
 
-import conda
 from conda.exports import UnsatisfiableError
 from conda_build.exceptions import DependencyNeedsBuildingError
 import networkx as nx
@@ -230,20 +228,38 @@ def remove_cycles(dag, name2recipes, failed, skip_dependent):
     return dag.subgraph(name for name in dag if name not in nodes_in_cycles)
 
 
-def get_subdags(dag, n_workers, worker_offset):
+def get_subdags(dag, n_workers, worker_offset, subdag_depth):
     if n_workers > 1 and worker_offset >= n_workers:
         raise ValueError(
             "n-workers is less than the worker-offset given! "
             "Either decrease --n-workers or decrease --worker-offset!")
 
     # Get connected subdags and sort by nodes
+    # If subdag_depth is None, each root node and all children (not previously assigned) are assigned to the same worker. 
+    #   This may fail when attempting to build child nodes with parents assigned to other workers.
+    # If subdag_depth is set, only nodes of a certain depth will be built (i.e., 0: only root nodes, 
+    #   1: only nodes with parents that are root nodes, etc.). They are assigned evenly across workers.
     if n_workers > 1:
         root_nodes = sorted([k for (k, v) in dag.in_degree() if v == 0])
         nodes = set()
         found = set()
+        children = []
+
+        if subdag_depth is not None:
+            working_dag = nx.DiGraph(dag)
+            # Only build the current "root" nodes after removing 
+            for i in range(0, subdag_depth + 1):
+                print("{} recipes at depth {}".format(len(root_nodes), i))
+                if len(root_nodes) == 0:
+                    break
+                if i < subdag_depth:
+                    working_dag.remove_nodes_from(root_nodes)
+                    root_nodes = sorted([k for (k, v) in working_dag.in_degree() if v == 0])
+
         for idx, root_node in enumerate(root_nodes):
-            # Flatten the nested list
-            children = itertools.chain(*nx.dfs_successors(dag, root_node).values())
+            if subdag_depth is None:
+                # Flatten the nested list
+                children = itertools.chain(*nx.dfs_successors(dag, root_node).values())
             # This is the only obvious way of ensuring that all nodes are included
             # in exactly 1 subgraph
             found.add(root_node)
@@ -256,6 +272,7 @@ def get_subdags(dag, n_workers, worker_offset):
             else:
                 for child in children:
                     found.add(child)
+
         subdags = dag.subgraph(list(nodes))
         logger.info("Building and testing sub-DAGs %i in each group of %i, which is %i packages", worker_offset, n_workers, len(subdags.nodes()))
     else:
@@ -305,6 +322,7 @@ def build_recipes(recipe_folder: str, config_path: str, recipes: List[str],
                   skiplist_leafs: bool = False,
                   live_logs: bool = True,
                   exclude: List[str] = None,
+                  subdag_depth: int = None
                   ):
     """
     Build one or many bioconda packages.
@@ -336,6 +354,7 @@ def build_recipes(recipe_folder: str, config_path: str, recipes: List[str],
       live_logs: If True, enable live logging during the build process
       exclude: list of recipes to exclude. Typically used for
         temporary exclusion; otherwise consider adding recipe to skiplist.
+      subdag_depth: Number of levels of nodes to skip. (Optional, only if using n_workers)
     """
     if not recipes:
         logger.info("Nothing to be done.")
@@ -375,7 +394,7 @@ def build_recipes(recipe_folder: str, config_path: str, recipes: List[str],
 
     skip_dependent = defaultdict(list)
     dag = remove_cycles(dag, name2recipes, failed, skip_dependent)
-    subdag = get_subdags(dag, n_workers, worker_offset)
+    subdag = get_subdags(dag, n_workers, worker_offset, subdag_depth)
     if not subdag:
         logger.info("Nothing to be done.")
         return True
diff --git a/bioconda_utils/cli.py b/bioconda_utils/cli.py
index 89834c9816..24bca16bff 100644
--- a/bioconda_utils/cli.py
+++ b/bioconda_utils/cli.py
@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ def do_lint(recipe_folder, config, packages="*", cache=None, list_checks=False,
 @arg("--skiplist-leafs", action="store_true", help="Skiplist leaf recipes (i.e. ones that are not depended on by any other recipes) that fail to build.")
 @arg('--disable-live-logs', action='store_true', help="Disable live logging during the build process")
 @arg('--exclude', nargs='+', help='Packages to exclude during this run')
+@arg('--subdag-depth', type=int, help="Number of levels of root nodes to skip. (Optional, and only if using n_workers)")
 @enable_logging()
 def build(recipe_folder, config, packages="*", git_range=None, testonly=False,
           force=False, docker=None, mulled_test=False, build_script_template=None,
@@ -447,7 +448,8 @@ def build(recipe_folder, config, packages="*", git_range=None, testonly=False,
           record_build_failures=False,
           skiplist_leafs=False,
           disable_live_logs=False,
-          exclude=None):
+          exclude=None,
+          subdag_depth=None):
     cfg = utils.load_config(config)
     setup = cfg.get('setup', None)
     if setup:
@@ -510,6 +512,7 @@ def build(recipe_folder, config, packages="*", git_range=None, testonly=False,
                             skiplist_leafs=skiplist_leafs,
                             live_logs=(not disable_live_logs),
                             exclude=exclude,
+                            subdag_depth=subdag_depth
                             )
     exit(0 if success else 1)