diff --git a/cads_adaptors/tools/area_selector.py b/cads_adaptors/tools/area_selector.py
index 75291e38..58bfff2d 100644
--- a/cads_adaptors/tools/area_selector.py
+++ b/cads_adaptors/tools/area_selector.py
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 from cads_adaptors.exceptions import CdsFormatConversionError, InvalidRequest
 from cads_adaptors.tools import adaptor_tools, convertors
 
+DEFAULT_DASK_SCHEDULER_MODE = os.getenv("CADS_ADAPTOR_DASK_SCHEDULER_MODE", "threads")
+
 
 def area_to_checked_dictionary(area: list[float | int]) -> dict[str, float | int]:
     north, east, south, west = area
@@ -183,7 +185,9 @@ def area_selector(
             ds, lat_key, area["south"], area["north"], context, **extra_kwargs
         )[0]
 
-        context.debug(f"lat_slice: {lat_slice}\nlon_slices: {lon_slices}")
+        context.debug(
+            f"Area selector: lat_slice: {lat_slice}\nlon_slices: {lon_slices}"
+        )
 
         sub_selections = []
         for lon_slice in lon_slices:
@@ -197,12 +201,12 @@ def area_selector(
                     **sel_kwargs,
                 )
             )
-        context.debug(f"selections: {sub_selections}")
+        # context.debug(f"selections: {sub_selections}")
 
         ds_area = xr.concat(
             sub_selections, dim=lon_key, data_vars="minimal", coords="minimal"
         )
-        context.debug(f"ds_area: {ds_area}")
+        context.debug(f"Area selector: ds_area: {ds_area}")
 
         # Ensure that there are no length zero dimensions
         for dim in [lat_key, lon_key]:
@@ -231,6 +235,7 @@ def area_selector_path(
     target_dir: str | None = None,
     area_selector_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {},
     open_datasets_kwargs: list[dict[str, Any]] | dict[str, Any] = {},
+    dask_scheduler_mode: str = "threads",
     **kwargs: dict[str, Any],
 ) -> list[str]:
     if isinstance(area, list):
@@ -281,8 +286,10 @@ def area_selector_path(
             out_path = os.path.join(target_dir, f"{fname_tag}.nc")
             for var in ds_area.variables:
                 ds_area[var].encoding.setdefault("_FillValue", None)
-            # Need to compute before writing to disk as dask loses too many jobs
-            ds_area.compute().to_netcdf(out_path)
+            # If threads, need to compute before writing to disk as dask loses too many jobs
+            if dask_scheduler_mode == "threads":
+                ds_area.compute()
+            ds_area.to_netcdf(out_path)
             out_paths.append(out_path)
     else:
         context.add_user_visible_error(
@@ -292,7 +299,10 @@ def area_selector_path(
             out_path = os.path.join(target_dir, f"{fname_tag}.nc")
             for var in ds_area.variables:
                 ds_area[var].encoding.setdefault("_FillValue", None)
-            ds_area.compute().to_netcdf(out_path)
+            # If threads, need to compute before writing to disk as dask loses too many jobs
+            if dask_scheduler_mode == "threads":
+                ds_area.compute()
+            ds_area.to_netcdf(out_path)
             out_paths.append(out_path)
 
     return out_paths
@@ -304,17 +314,28 @@ def area_selector_paths(
     context: Context = Context(),
     **kwargs: Any,
 ) -> list[str]:
-    with dask.config.set(scheduler="threads"):
+    import time
+
+    dask_scheduler_mode: str = kwargs.pop(
+        "dask_scheduler_mode", DEFAULT_DASK_SCHEDULER_MODE
+    )
+    with dask.config.set(scheduler=dask_scheduler_mode):
+        time0 = time.time()
         # We try to select the area for all paths, if any fail we return the original paths
         out_paths = []
         for path in paths:
             try:
                 out_paths += area_selector_path(
-                    path, area=area, context=context, **kwargs
+                    path,
+                    area=area,
+                    context=context,
+                    dask_scheduler_mode=dask_scheduler_mode,
+                    **kwargs,
                 )
             except (NotImplementedError, CdsFormatConversionError):
-                context.logger.debug(
+                context.debug(
                     f"could not convert {path} to xarray; returning the original data"
                 )
                 out_paths.append(path)
+        context.logger.info("Area selection complete", delta_time=time.time() - time0)
     return out_paths
diff --git a/tests/test_30_area_selector.py b/tests/test_30_area_selector.py
index 86ebaf6d..fdb59431 100644
--- a/tests/test_30_area_selector.py
+++ b/tests/test_30_area_selector.py
@@ -252,6 +252,13 @@ def test_area_selector_zero_length_dim():
 )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "dask_mode",
+    [
+        "single-threaded",
+        "threads",
+    ],
+)
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "url",
     [
@@ -259,20 +266,29 @@ def test_area_selector_zero_length_dim():
         f"{TEST_DATA_BASE_URL}/C3S-312bL1-L3C-MONTHLY-SRB-ATSR2_ORAC_ERS2_199506_fv3.0.nc",
     ],
 )
-def test_area_selector_real_files(url):
+def test_area_selector_real_files(dask_mode, url):
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
         test_file = os.path.join(temp_dir, TEMP_FILENAME)
         remote_file = requests.get(url)
         with open(test_file, "wb") as f:
             f.write(remote_file.content)
 
-        result = area_selector_path(test_file, area=[90, -180, -90, 180])
+        result = area_selector_path(
+            test_file, area=[90, -180, -90, 180], dask_scheduler_mode=dask_mode
+        )
         assert isinstance(result, list)
         assert len(result) == 1
         assert isinstance(result[0], str)
 
 
 # Test with lists of urls
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "dask_mode",
+    [
+        "single-threaded",
+        "threads",
+    ],
+)
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "urls",
     [
@@ -292,7 +308,7 @@ def test_area_selector_real_files(url):
         ],
     ],
 )
-def test_area_selector_paths_real_files(urls):
+def test_area_selector_paths_real_files(dask_mode, urls):
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
         test_files = []
         for i, file in enumerate(urls):
@@ -306,6 +322,7 @@ def test_area_selector_paths_real_files(urls):
         result = area_selector_paths(
             test_files,
             area=[90, -180, -90, 180],
+            dask_scheduler_mode=dask_mode,
         )
         assert isinstance(result, list)
         assert len(result) == len(urls)