diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8eb21d4c38..b1bcf78c2f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ export HOSTARCH := $(shell uname -m | \
 #
 # Taking into account the above considerations, if you still want to execute
 # this top-level Makefile in parallel comment the ".NOTPARALLEL" line and
-# build using the following command:
-#	make BR2_JLEVEL= -j$((`getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN`+1))
+# use the -j<jobs> option when building, e.g:
+#      make -j$((`getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN`+1))
 .NOTPARALLEL:
 
 # absolute path
diff --git a/package/Makefile.in b/package/Makefile.in
index c02d31f486..2ed7cf7d2c 100644
--- a/package/Makefile.in
+++ b/package/Makefile.in
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ PARALLEL_JOBS := $(BR2_JLEVEL)
 endif
 
 MAKE1 := $(HOSTMAKE) -j1
-MAKE := $(HOSTMAKE) $(if $(PARALLEL_JOBS),-j$(PARALLEL_JOBS))
+override MAKE = $(HOSTMAKE) \
+	$(if $(findstring j,$(filter-out --%,$(MAKEFLAGS))),,-j$(PARALLEL_JOBS))
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT),y)
 TARGET_VENDOR = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT_VENDOR))