diff --git a/include/host-build.mk b/include/host-build.mk
index 22bc47d093..1b7f354066 100644
--- a/include/host-build.mk
+++ b/include/host-build.mk
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
 ifeq ($(strip $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)),0)
 HOST_JOBS?=-j1
 else
-HOST_JOBS?=-j$(if $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
-	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),1))
+HOST_JOBS?=$(if $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
+	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),-j1),-j1)
 endif
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk
diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index aed7dd2b8e..2d3a5d0966 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
 ifeq ($(strip $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)),0)
 PKG_JOBS?=-j1
 else
-PKG_JOBS?=-j$(if $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
-	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),1))
+PKG_JOBS?=$(if $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
+	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),-j1),-j1)
 endif
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/prereq.mk