diff --git a/compiler/semexprs.nim b/compiler/semexprs.nim
index 0e9b9ae5f..bb3ec9df0 100644
--- a/compiler/semexprs.nim
+++ b/compiler/semexprs.nim
@@ -1720,6 +1720,8 @@ proc semMagic(c: PContext, n: PNode, s: PSym, flags: TExprFlags): PNode =
     result = newStrNodeT(renderTree(n[1], {renderNoComments}), n)
     result.typ = getSysType(tyString)
   of mParallel:
+    if not experimentalMode(c):
+      localError(n.info, "use the {.experimental.} pragma to enable 'parallel'")
     result = setMs(n, s)
     var x = n.lastSon
     if x.kind == nkDo: x = x.sons[bodyPos]
diff --git a/tests/parallel/nim.cfg b/tests/parallel/nim.cfg
index b81c89721..d0d2a9305 100644
--- a/tests/parallel/nim.cfg
+++ b/tests/parallel/nim.cfg
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 threads:on
+--experimental
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index ee1d6fa87..f9abed891 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ version 0.11.4
 - make '--implicitStatic:on' the default; then we can also clean up the
   'static[T]' mess in the compiler!
 
-- Mark the 'parallel' statement as experimental.
 - add "all threads are blocked" detection to 'spawn'
 - Deprecate ``immediate`` for templates and macros
 - make 'nil' work for 'add':
diff --git a/web/news.txt b/web/news.txt
index 518793a4a..16ac286ae 100644
--- a/web/news.txt
+++ b/web/news.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ News
     been removed.
   - ``macros.high`` never worked and the manual says ``high`` cannot be
     overloaded, so we removed it with no deprecation cycle.
+  - To use the ``parallel`` statement you now have to
+    use the ``--experimental`` mode.
+
 
 
   Library additions