A method for providing state inheritance across command lists in a multi-threaded processing environment. The method includes receiving an application program that includes a plurality of parallel threads; generating a command list for each thread of the plurality of parallel threads; causing a first command list associated with a first thread of the plurality of parallel threads to be executed by a processing unit; and causing a second command list associated with a second thread of the plurality of parallel threads to be executed by the processing unit, where the second command list inherits from the first command list state associated with the processing unit.