diff --git a/include/vlc_preparser.h b/include/vlc_preparser.h
index 51548fb728..d62a8adf68 100644
--- a/include/vlc_preparser.h
+++ b/include/vlc_preparser.h
@@ -120,20 +120,39 @@ struct vlc_preparser_seek_arg
     } speed;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Preparser creation configuration
+ */
+struct vlc_preparser_cfg
+{
+    /**
+     * A combination of VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_* flags, it is used to
+     * setup the executors for each domain. Its possible to select more than
+     * one type
+     */
+    int types;
+
+    /**
+     * The maximum number of threads used by the parser, 0 for default
+     * (1 thread)
+     */
+    unsigned max_parser_threads;
+
+    /**
+     * Timeout of the preparser and/or thumbnailer, 0 for no limits.
+     */
+    vlc_tick_t timeout;
+};
+
 /**
  * This function creates the preparser object and thread.
  *
  * @param obj the parent object
- * @param max_threads the maximum number of threads used to parse, must be >= 1
- * @param timeout timeout of the preparser, 0 for no limits.
- * @param types a combination of VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_* flags, it is used to
- * setup the executors for each domain. Its possible to select more than one
- * types
+ * @param cfg a pointer to a valid confiuration struct
  * @return a valid preparser object or NULL in case of error
  */
 VLC_API vlc_preparser_t *vlc_preparser_New( vlc_object_t *obj,
-                                            unsigned max_threads,
-                                            vlc_tick_t timeout, int types );
+                                            const struct vlc_preparser_cfg *cfg );
 
 /**
  * This function enqueues the provided item to be preparsed or fetched.
diff --git a/lib/core.c b/lib/core.c
index 768ea15d58..3d91448fd6 100644
--- a/lib/core.c
+++ b/lib/core.c
@@ -265,11 +265,14 @@ vlc_preparser_t *libvlc_get_preparser(libvlc_instance_t *instance)
         if (default_timeout < 0)
             default_timeout = 0;
 
+        const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+            .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE | VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_ALL,
+            .max_parser_threads = max_threads,
+            .timeout = default_timeout,
+        };
+
         parser = instance->parser =
-            vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(instance->p_libvlc_int), max_threads,
-                              default_timeout,
-                              VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE |
-                              VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_ALL);
+            vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(instance->p_libvlc_int), &cfg);
     }
     vlc_mutex_unlock(&instance->lazy_init_lock);
 
@@ -283,9 +286,13 @@ vlc_preparser_t *libvlc_get_thumbnailer(libvlc_instance_t *instance)
 
     if (thumb == NULL)
     {
+        const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+            .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL,
+            .timeout = 0,
+        };
+
         thumb = instance->thumbnailer =
-            vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(instance->p_libvlc_int), 1, 0,
-                                VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL);
+            vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(instance->p_libvlc_int), &cfg);
     }
     vlc_mutex_unlock(&instance->lazy_init_lock);
 
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/main/VLCMain.m b/modules/gui/macosx/main/VLCMain.m
index 9983ed1d2d..8421bfa708 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/main/VLCMain.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/main/VLCMain.m
@@ -155,8 +155,12 @@ int OpenIntf (vlc_object_t *p_this)
             intf_thread_t *p_intf = (intf_thread_t*) p_this;
             p_interface_thread = p_intf;
 
-            p_network_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(p_this, 1, 0,
-                                                    VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE);
+            const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+                .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE,
+                .max_parser_threads = 1,
+                .timeout = 0,
+            };
+            p_network_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(p_this, &cfg);
             if (p_network_preparser == nil)
             {
                 retcode = VLC_ENOMEM;
diff --git a/modules/gui/qt/maininterface/mainctx.cpp b/modules/gui/qt/maininterface/mainctx.cpp
index 246469f0c1..bbc7e28f38 100644
--- a/modules/gui/qt/maininterface/mainctx.cpp
+++ b/modules/gui/qt/maininterface/mainctx.cpp
@@ -251,8 +251,14 @@ MainCtx::MainCtx(qt_intf_t *_p_intf)
         QMetaObject::invokeMethod(m_medialib, &MediaLib::reload, Qt::QueuedConnection);
     }
 
-    m_network_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(libvlc), 1, 0,
-                                            VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE);
+    const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = []{
+        struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg{};
+        cfg.types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE;
+        cfg.max_parser_threads = 1;
+        cfg.timeout = 0;
+        return cfg;
+    }();
+    m_network_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(libvlc), &cfg);
 
 #ifdef UPDATE_CHECK
     /* Checking for VLC updates */
diff --git a/modules/gui/qt/player/player_controller.cpp b/modules/gui/qt/player/player_controller.cpp
index a1b45d13ef..9f1de2b32b 100644
--- a/modules/gui/qt/player/player_controller.cpp
+++ b/modules/gui/qt/player/player_controller.cpp
@@ -1955,9 +1955,14 @@ void PlayerController::requestArtUpdate( input_item_t *p_item )
         if (default_timeout < 0)
             default_timeout = 0;
 
-        d->m_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(d->p_intf), 1,
-                                           default_timeout,
-                                           VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_ALL);
+        const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = [default_timeout]{
+            struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg{};
+            cfg.types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_ALL;
+            cfg.max_parser_threads = 1;
+            cfg.timeout = default_timeout;
+            return cfg;
+        }();
+        d->m_preparser = vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(d->p_intf), &cfg);
         if (unlikely(d->m_preparser == nullptr))
             return;
     }
diff --git a/modules/misc/medialibrary/Thumbnailer.cpp b/modules/misc/medialibrary/Thumbnailer.cpp
index 3eaa80bd0f..779c2d637b 100644
--- a/modules/misc/medialibrary/Thumbnailer.cpp
+++ b/modules/misc/medialibrary/Thumbnailer.cpp
@@ -37,9 +37,13 @@ Thumbnailer::Thumbnailer( vlc_medialibrary_module_t* ml )
     , m_currentContext( nullptr )
     , m_thumbnailer( nullptr, &vlc_preparser_Delete )
 {
-    m_thumbnailer.reset( vlc_preparser_New( VLC_OBJECT( ml ), 1,
-                                            VLC_TICK_FROM_SEC( 3 ),
-                                            VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL ) );
+    const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = []{
+        struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg{};
+        cfg.types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL;
+        cfg.timeout = VLC_TICK_FROM_SEC( 3 );
+        return cfg;
+    }();
+    m_thumbnailer.reset( vlc_preparser_New( VLC_OBJECT( ml ), &cfg ) );
     if ( unlikely( m_thumbnailer == nullptr ) )
         throw std::runtime_error( "Failed to instantiate a vlc_preparser_t" );
 }
diff --git a/src/playlist/playlist.c b/src/playlist/playlist.c
index f741598749..faa7c94b99 100644
--- a/src/playlist/playlist.c
+++ b/src/playlist/playlist.c
@@ -40,10 +40,12 @@ vlc_playlist_New(vlc_object_t *parent, enum vlc_playlist_preparsing rec,
 
     if (rec != VLC_PLAYLIST_PREPARSING_DISABLED)
     {
-        playlist->parser = vlc_preparser_New(parent, preparse_max_threads,
-                                             preparse_timeout,
-                                             VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE |
-                                             VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_LOCAL);
+        const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+            .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE | VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_LOCAL,
+            .max_parser_threads = preparse_max_threads,
+            .timeout = preparse_timeout,
+        };
+        playlist->parser = vlc_preparser_New(parent, &cfg);
         if (playlist->parser == NULL)
         {
             free(playlist);
diff --git a/src/preparser/preparser.c b/src/preparser/preparser.c
index 6a4e39a9b5..6ed2ce926c 100644
--- a/src/preparser/preparser.c
+++ b/src/preparser/preparser.c
@@ -410,25 +410,30 @@ Interrupt(struct task *task)
     vlc_sem_post(&task->preparse_ended);
 }
 
-vlc_preparser_t* vlc_preparser_New( vlc_object_t *parent, unsigned max_threads,
-                                    vlc_tick_t timeout, int request_type )
+vlc_preparser_t* vlc_preparser_New( vlc_object_t *parent,
+                                    const struct vlc_preparser_cfg *cfg )
 {
-    assert(max_threads >= 1);
-    assert(timeout >= 0);
+    assert(cfg != NULL);
+
+    assert(cfg->timeout >= 0);
+
+    int request_type = cfg->types;
     assert(request_type & (VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_ALL|
                            VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE|
                            VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL));
 
+    unsigned parser_threads = cfg->max_parser_threads == 0 ? 1 :
+                              cfg->max_parser_threads;
     vlc_preparser_t* preparser = malloc( sizeof *preparser );
     if (!preparser)
         return NULL;
 
-    preparser->timeout = timeout;
+    preparser->timeout = cfg->timeout;
     preparser->owner = parent;
 
     if (request_type & VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE)
     {
-        preparser->parser = vlc_executor_New(max_threads);
+        preparser->parser = vlc_executor_New(parser_threads);
         if (!preparser->parser)
             goto error_parser;
     }
diff --git a/test/libvlc/media.c b/test/libvlc/media.c
index 2a282855f4..1cc530c33b 100644
--- a/test/libvlc/media.c
+++ b/test/libvlc/media.c
@@ -253,9 +253,13 @@ static void test_input_metadata_timeout(libvlc_instance_t *vlc, int timeout,
 
     int options = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_PARSE | VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_FETCHMETA_LOCAL;
 
+    const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+        .types = options,
+        .max_parser_threads = 1,
+        .timeout = VLC_TICK_FROM_MS(timeout),
+    };
     vlc_preparser_t *parser = vlc_preparser_New(VLC_OBJECT(vlc->p_libvlc_int),
-                                                1, VLC_TICK_FROM_MS(timeout),
-                                                options);
+                                                &cfg);
     assert(parser != NULL);
     vlc_preparser_req_id id = vlc_preparser_Push(parser, p_item, options, &cbs, &sem);
     assert(id != VLC_PREPARSER_REQ_ID_INVALID);
diff --git a/test/src/preparser/thumbnail.c b/test/src/preparser/thumbnail.c
index 0927e5b667..d4374e65b8 100644
--- a/test/src/preparser/thumbnail.c
+++ b/test/src/preparser/thumbnail.c
@@ -128,9 +128,13 @@ static void test_thumbnails( libvlc_instance_t* p_vlc )
         ctx.test_idx = i;
         ctx.b_done = false;
 
+        const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+            .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL,
+            .timeout = test_params[i].i_timeout,
+        };
+
         vlc_preparser_t* p_thumbnailer = vlc_preparser_New(
-                    VLC_OBJECT( p_vlc->p_libvlc_int ), 1, test_params[i].i_timeout,
-                    VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL );
+                    VLC_OBJECT( p_vlc->p_libvlc_int ), &cfg );
         assert( p_thumbnailer != NULL );
 
 
@@ -194,9 +198,12 @@ static void thumbnailer_callback_cancel( input_item_t *item, int status,
 
 static void test_cancel_thumbnail( libvlc_instance_t* p_vlc )
 {
+    const struct vlc_preparser_cfg cfg = {
+        .types = VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL,
+        .timeout = VLC_TICK_INVALID,
+    };
     vlc_preparser_t* p_thumbnailer = vlc_preparser_New(
-                VLC_OBJECT( p_vlc->p_libvlc_int ), 1, VLC_TICK_INVALID,
-                VLC_PREPARSER_TYPE_THUMBNAIL );
+                VLC_OBJECT( p_vlc->p_libvlc_int ), &cfg );
     assert( p_thumbnailer != NULL );
 
     const char* psz_mrl = "mock://video_track_count=0;audio_track_count=1;"