diff --git a/dace/frontend/python/interface.py b/dace/frontend/python/interface.py
index 69e650beaa..ecd0b164d6 100644
--- a/dace/frontend/python/interface.py
+++ b/dace/frontend/python/interface.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def program(f: F,
             recreate_sdfg: bool = True,
             regenerate_code: bool = True,
             recompile: bool = True,
+            distributed_compilation: bool = False,
             constant_functions=False,
             **kwargs) -> Callable[..., parser.DaceProgram]:
     """
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ def program(f: F,
                             it.
     :param recompile: Whether to recompile the code. If False, the library in the build folder will be used if it exists,
                       without recompiling it.
+    :param distributed_compilation: Whether to compile the code from rank 0, and broadcast it to all the other ranks.
+                                    If False, every rank performs the compilation. In this case, make sure to check the ``cache`` configuration entry
+                                    such that no caching or clashes can happen between different MPI processes.
     :param constant_functions: If True, assumes all external functions that do
                                not depend on internal variables are constant.
                                This will hardcode their return values into the
@@ -78,7 +82,8 @@ def program(f: F,
                               constant_functions,
                               recreate_sdfg=recreate_sdfg,
                               regenerate_code=regenerate_code,
-                              recompile=recompile)
+                              recompile=recompile,
+                              distributed_compilation=distributed_compilation)
 
 
 function = program
diff --git a/dace/frontend/python/parser.py b/dace/frontend/python/parser.py
index 14377c4fe2..34cb8fb4ad 100644
--- a/dace/frontend/python/parser.py
+++ b/dace/frontend/python/parser.py
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ def __init__(self,
                  recreate_sdfg: bool = True,
                  regenerate_code: bool = True,
                  recompile: bool = True,
+                 distributed_compilation: bool = False,
                  method: bool = False):
         from dace.codegen import compiled_sdfg  # Avoid import loops
 
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.recreate_sdfg = recreate_sdfg
         self.regenerate_code = regenerate_code
         self.recompile = recompile
+        self.distributed_compilation = distributed_compilation
 
         self.global_vars = _get_locals_and_globals(f)
         self.signature = inspect.signature(f)
@@ -449,12 +451,12 @@ def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
                 sdfg.simplify()
 
         with hooks.invoke_sdfg_call_hooks(sdfg) as sdfg:
-            if not mpi4py:
+            if self.distributed_compilation and mpi4py:
+                binaryobj = distributed_compile(sdfg, mpi4py.MPI.COMM_WORLD, validate=self.validate)
+            else:
                 # Compile SDFG (note: this is done after symbol inference due to shape
                 # altering transformations such as Vectorization)
                 binaryobj = sdfg.compile(validate=self.validate)
-            else:
-                binaryobj = distributed_compile(sdfg, mpi4py.MPI.COMM_WORLD, validate=self.validate)
 
             # Recreate key and add to cache
             cachekey = self._cache.make_key(argtypes, specified, self.closure_array_keys, self.closure_constant_keys,