diff --git a/package/Makefile.in b/package/Makefile.in
index 170ad789b0..d406901ade 100644
--- a/package/Makefile.in
+++ b/package/Makefile.in
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ PARALLEL_JOBS:=$(BR2_JLEVEL)
 endif
 
 MAKE1:=$(HOSTMAKE) -j1
-MAKE:=$(HOSTMAKE) -j$(PARALLEL_JOBS)
+MAKE:=$(HOSTMAKE) $(if $(PARALLEL_JOBS),-j$(PARALLEL_JOBS))
 
 # Compute GNU_TARGET_NAME
 GNU_TARGET_NAME=$(ARCH)-buildroot-$(TARGET_OS)-$(LIBC)$(ABI)