diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 9a04fccb..dea60397 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
     function() {
       verifyNoGlobals(() => require('./lib/jasmine-core.js').noGlobals());
       const done = this.async(),
-          Jasmine = require('jasmine'),
-          jasmineCore = require('./lib/jasmine-core.js'),
-          jasmine = new Jasmine({jasmineCore: jasmineCore});
+        Jasmine = require('jasmine'),
+        jasmineCore = require('./lib/jasmine-core.js'),
+        jasmine = new Jasmine({jasmineCore: jasmineCore});
 
       jasmine.loadConfigFile('./spec/support/jasmine.json');
       jasmine.exitOnCompletion = false;
@@ -40,12 +40,44 @@ module.exports = function(grunt) {
         result => done(result.overallStatus === 'passed'),
         err => {
           console.error(err);
-          exit(1);
+          done(false);
         }
       );
     }
   );
 
+  grunt.registerTask("execSpecsInParallel",
+    "Run Jasmine core specs in parallel in Node.js",
+    function() {
+      // Need to require this here rather than at the top of the file
+      // so that we don't break verifyNoGlobals above by loading jasmine-core
+      // too early
+      const ParallelRunner = require('jasmine/parallel');
+
+      console.log('parallel runner pid:', process.pid);
+      const done = this.async();
+      // TODO use this core instead of the one imported by jasmine/parallel
+      // const jasmineCore = require('./lib/jasmine-core.js');
+      const runner = new ParallelRunner({
+        // TODO:
+        // jasmineCore,
+        // numWorkers: require('os').cpus().length
+      });
+
+      runner.loadConfigFile('./spec/support/jasmine.json')
+        .then(() => {
+          runner.exitOnCompletion = false;
+          return runner.execute();
+        }).then(
+          jasmineDoneInfo => done(jasmineDoneInfo.overallStatus === 'passed'),
+          err => {
+            console.error(err);
+            done(false);
+          }
+        );
+    }
+  );
+
   grunt.registerTask("execSpecsInNode:performance",
     "Run Jasmine performance specs in Node.js",
     function() {
diff --git a/spec/core/AsyncExpectationSpec.js b/spec/core/AsyncExpectationSpec.js
index a0117be9..8d47e439 100644
--- a/spec/core/AsyncExpectationSpec.js
+++ b/spec/core/AsyncExpectationSpec.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe('AsyncExpectation', function() {
 
     it('converts a fail to a pass', function() {
       const addExpectationResult = jasmine.createSpy('addExpectationResult'),
-        actual = Promise.reject(),
+        actual = Promise.reject(new Error('nope')),
         expectation = jasmineUnderTest.Expectation.asyncFactory({
           matchersUtil: new jasmineUnderTest.MatchersUtil({
             pp: function() {}
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ describe('AsyncExpectation', function() {
           }
         },
         addExpectationResult = jasmine.createSpy('addExpectationResult'),
-        actual = Promise.reject(),
+        actual = Promise.reject(new Error('nope')),
         expectation = jasmineUnderTest.Expectation.asyncFactory({
           actual: actual,
           addExpectationResult: addExpectationResult,
diff --git a/spec/core/baseSpec.js b/spec/core/baseSpec.js
index e0c828c5..8de92396 100644
--- a/spec/core/baseSpec.js
+++ b/spec/core/baseSpec.js
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ describe('base helpers', function() {
     });
 
     it('returns a promise that resolves to false when the promise is rejected', function() {
-      const promise = Promise.reject();
+      const promise = Promise.reject(new Error('nope'));
       return expectAsync(jasmineUnderTest.isPending_(promise)).toBeResolvedTo(
         false
       );
diff --git a/spec/core/integration/MatchersSpec.js b/spec/core/integration/MatchersSpec.js
index 1ce62c9f..9e6994fc 100755
--- a/spec/core/integration/MatchersSpec.js
+++ b/spec/core/integration/MatchersSpec.js
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ describe('Matchers (Integration)', function() {
     });
 
     verifyFailsAsync(function(env) {
-      return env.expectAsync(Promise.reject()).toBeResolved();
+      return env.expectAsync(Promise.reject(new Error('nope'))).toBeResolved();
     });
   });