diff --git a/lib/parallel.rb b/lib/parallel.rb
index 48a99fd..163a2d4 100644
--- a/lib/parallel.rb
+++ b/lib/parallel.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ class Break < StandardError
   class Kill < StandardError
   end
 
+  class Return < StandardError
+    attr_reader :return_value
+
+    def initialize(return_value)
+      @return_value = return_value
+    end
+  end
+
   class UndumpableException < StandardError
     attr_reader :backtrace
     def initialize(original)
@@ -228,6 +236,24 @@ def each(array, options={}, &block)
       map(array, options.merge(:preserve_results => false), &block)
     end
 
+    def first_result(array, options = {}, &block)
+      raise "You must provide a block when calling #first_result" if block.nil?
+      map(array, options.merge({return_one: true})) do |*a| 
+        if result = block.call(*a) 
+          raise Parallel::Return.new(result)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def find(array, options = {}, &block)
+      raise "You must provide a block when calling #find" if block.nil?
+      map(array, options.merge({return_one: true})) do |*a| 
+        if block.call(*a) 
+          raise Parallel::Return.new(*a)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     def any?(*args, &block)
       raise "You must provide a block when calling #any?" if block.nil?
       !each(*args) { |*a| raise Parallel::Kill if block.call(*a) }
@@ -271,14 +297,22 @@ def map(source, options = {}, &block)
       add_progress_bar!(job_factory, options)
 
       results = if size == 0
-        work_direct(job_factory, options, &block)
-      elsif method == :in_threads
-        work_in_threads(job_factory, options.merge(:count => size), &block)
-      else
-        work_in_processes(job_factory, options.merge(:count => size), &block)
-      end
+                  work_direct(job_factory, options, &block)
+                elsif method == :in_threads
+                  work_in_threads(job_factory, options.merge(:count => size), &block)
+                else
+                  work_in_processes(job_factory, options.merge(:count => size), &block)
+                end
       if results
-        options[:return_results] ? results : source
+        if options[:return_one] 
+          if results.is_a?(Return)
+            results.return_value
+          end
+        elsif options[:return_results] 
+          results
+        else
+          source
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -401,11 +435,9 @@ def work_in_processes(job_factory, options, &blk)
                 results_mutex.synchronize { results[index] = result } # arrays are not threads safe on jRuby
               rescue StandardError => e
                 exception = e
+                # takes care of Kill and its subclasses
                 if Parallel::Kill === exception
-                  (workers - [worker]).each do |w|
-                    w.thread.kill if w.thread
-                    UserInterruptHandler.kill(w.pid)
-                  end
+                  stop_workers(workers - [worker])
                 end
               end
             end
@@ -418,6 +450,13 @@ def work_in_processes(job_factory, options, &blk)
       handle_exception(exception, results)
     end
 
+    def stop_workers(workers_to_stop)
+      workers_to_stop.each do |w|
+        w.thread.kill if w.thread
+        UserInterruptHandler.kill(w.pid)
+      end
+    end
+
     def replace_worker(job_factory, workers, i, options, blk)
       options[:mutex].synchronize do
         # old worker is no longer used ... stop it
@@ -485,7 +524,8 @@ def process_incoming_jobs(read, write, job_factory, options, &block)
     end
 
     def handle_exception(exception, results)
-      return nil if [Parallel::Break, Parallel::Kill].include? exception.class
+      return if [Parallel::Break, Parallel::Kill].include?(exception.class)
+      return exception if exception.class == Parallel::Return
       raise exception if exception
       results
     end
diff --git a/spec/cases/parallel_find.rb b/spec/cases/parallel_find.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bca996b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/cases/parallel_find.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+require './spec/cases/helper'
+STDOUT.sync = true # otherwise results can go weird...
+
+result = ""
+[{in_processes: 2}, {in_threads: 2}].each do |options|
+  x = ["bob", "alice", "ellcs", "grosser"]
+  result = Parallel.find(x, options) do |s|
+    s.include?("ll")
+  end
+end
+
+print result
diff --git a/spec/cases/parallel_find_nothing.rb b/spec/cases/parallel_find_nothing.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cea032
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/cases/parallel_find_nothing.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+require './spec/cases/helper'
+STDOUT.sync = true # otherwise results can go weird...
+
+result = "i should be nil"
+[{in_processes: 2}, {in_threads: 2}].each do |options|
+  x = ["bob", "alice", "ellcs", "grosser"]
+  result = Parallel.find(x, options) do |o|
+    # nothing matches
+    false
+  end
+end
+
+print result.inspect
diff --git a/spec/cases/parallel_first_result.rb b/spec/cases/parallel_first_result.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31ebca6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/cases/parallel_first_result.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+require './spec/cases/helper'
+STDOUT.sync = true # otherwise results can go weird...
+
+result = ""
+[{in_processes: 2}, {in_threads: 2}].each do |options|
+  x = ["bob", "alice", "ellcs", "grosser"]
+  result = Parallel.first_result(x, options) do |s|
+    s.include?("ll") && s
+  end
+end
+
+print result
diff --git a/spec/cases/parallel_first_result_nothing.rb b/spec/cases/parallel_first_result_nothing.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b9155e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/cases/parallel_first_result_nothing.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+require './spec/cases/helper'
+STDOUT.sync = true # otherwise results can go weird...
+
+result = "i should be nil"
+[{in_processes: 2}, {in_threads: 2}].each do |options|
+  x = ["bob", "alice", "ellcs", "grosser"]
+  result = Parallel.first_result(x, options) do |o|
+    # nothing matches
+    false
+  end
+end
+
+print result.inspect
diff --git a/spec/parallel_spec.rb b/spec/parallel_spec.rb
index e9c53d0..dbe46bb 100644
--- a/spec/parallel_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/parallel_spec.rb
@@ -511,6 +511,26 @@ def cpus
     end
   end
 
+  describe ".find" do
+    it "returns nil if none is turthy" do
+      `ruby spec/cases/parallel_find_nothing.rb`.strip.should == 'nil'
+    end
+
+    it "returns false if all results are falsy" do
+      `ruby spec/cases/parallel_find.rb`.strip.should == 'ellcs'
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe ".first_result" do
+    it "returns nil if none is turthy" do
+      `ruby spec/cases/parallel_first_result_nothing.rb`.strip.should == 'nil'
+    end
+
+    it "returns false if all results are falsy" do
+      `ruby spec/cases/parallel_first_result.rb`.strip.should == 'ellcs'
+    end
+  end
+
   describe ".all?" do
     it "returns true if all results are truthy" do
       `ruby spec/cases/all_true.rb`.split(',').should == ['true'] * 3 * 3