diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-cmake.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-cmake.txt
index 541d7422cf..4f336db737 100644
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-cmake.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-cmake.txt
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ typical packages will therefore only use a few of them.
   the tree extracted by the tarball. If +HOST_LIBFOO_SUBDIR+ is not
   specified, it defaults to +LIBFOO_SUBDIR+.
 
+* +LIBFOO_CMAKE_BACKEND+ specifies the cmake backend to use, one of
+  `make` (to use the GNU Makefiles generator, the default) or `ninja`
+  (to use the Ninja generator).
+
 * +LIBFOO_CONF_ENV+, to specify additional environment variables to
   pass to CMake. By default, empty.
 
@@ -107,6 +111,10 @@ typical packages will therefore only use a few of them.
 ** +BUILD_EXAMPLE+, +BUILD_EXAMPLES+ are disabled;
 ** +BUILD_TEST+, +BUILD_TESTS+, +BUILD_TESTING+ are disabled.
 
+* +LIBFOO_BUILD_ENV+ and +LIBFOO_BUILD_OPTS+ to specify additional
+  environment variables, or command line options, to pass to the backend
+  at build time.
+
 * +LIBFOO_SUPPORTS_IN_SOURCE_BUILD = NO+ should be set when the package
   cannot be built inside the source tree but needs a separate build
   directory.
diff --git a/package/musepack/musepack.mk b/package/musepack/musepack.mk
index fc66c684a5..d4dd08df36 100644
--- a/package/musepack/musepack.mk
+++ b/package/musepack/musepack.mk
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ MUSEPACK_SITE = http://files.musepack.net/source
 MUSEPACK_SOURCE = musepack_src_$(MUSEPACK_VERSION).tar.gz
 MUSEPACK_DEPENDENCIES = libcuefile libreplaygain
 MUSEPACK_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
-MUSEPACK_MAKE = $(MAKE1)
+MUSEPACK_BUILD_OPTS = -j1
 MUSEPACK_LICENSE = BSD-3-Clause (*mpcdec), LGPL-2.1+ (*mpcenc)
 MUSEPACK_LICENSE_FILES = libmpcdec/COPYING libmpcenc/quant.c
 
diff --git a/package/pkg-cmake.mk b/package/pkg-cmake.mk
index 8c375779cb..e085fb2b5d 100644
--- a/package/pkg-cmake.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-cmake.mk
@@ -51,13 +51,10 @@ endif
 
 define inner-cmake-package
 
-$(2)_MAKE			?= $$(MAKE)
-$(2)_INSTALL_OPTS		?= install
-$(2)_INSTALL_STAGING_OPTS	?= DESTDIR=$$(STAGING_DIR) install/fast
-$(2)_INSTALL_TARGET_OPTS	?= DESTDIR=$$(TARGET_DIR) install/fast
-
 $(3)_SUPPORTS_IN_SOURCE_BUILD ?= YES
 
+# The default backend, unless specified by the package
+$(3)_CMAKE_BACKEND ?= make
 
 ifeq ($$($(3)_SUPPORTS_IN_SOURCE_BUILD),YES)
 $(2)_BUILDDIR			= $$($(2)_SRCDIR)
@@ -65,6 +62,24 @@ else
 $(2)_BUILDDIR			= $$($(2)_SRCDIR)/buildroot-build
 endif
 
+ifeq ($$($(3)_CMAKE_BACKEND),make)
+$(2)_GENERATOR = "Unix Makefiles"
+# $$(MAKE) can be 'make -jN', we just want 'make'  (possibly with a full path)
+$(2)_GENERATOR_PROGRAM = $(firstword $$(MAKE))
+# Generator specific code (make) should be avoided,
+# but for now, copy them to the new variables.
+$(2)_BUILD_ENV ?= $$($(2)_MAKE_ENV)
+$(2)_BUILD_OPTS ?= -- $$($(2)_MAKE_OPTS)
+
+else ifeq ($$($(3)_CMAKE_BACKEND),ninja)
+$(2)_DEPENDENCIES += host-ninja
+$(2)_GENERATOR = "Ninja"
+$(2)_GENERATOR_PROGRAM = $(HOST_DIR)/bin/ninja
+
+else
+$$(error Unsupported cmake backend "$$($(3)_CMAKE_BACKEND)")
+endif
+
 #
 # Configure step. Only define it if not already defined by the package
 # .mk file. And take care of the differences between host and target
@@ -88,7 +103,8 @@ define $(2)_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	rm -f CMakeCache.txt && \
 	PATH=$$(BR_PATH) \
 	$$($$(PKG)_CONF_ENV) $$(BR2_CMAKE) $$($$(PKG)_SRCDIR) \
-		-G"Unix Makefiles" \
+		-G$$($$(PKG)_GENERATOR) \
+		-DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM="$$($$(PKG)_GENERATOR_PROGRAM)" \
 		-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$$(HOST_DIR)/share/buildroot/toolchainfile.cmake" \
 		-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="/usr" \
 		-DCMAKE_INSTALL_RUNSTATEDIR="/run" \
@@ -119,7 +135,8 @@ define $(2)_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 	PKG_CONFIG_ALLOW_SYSTEM_CFLAGS=1 \
 	PKG_CONFIG_ALLOW_SYSTEM_LIBS=1 \
 	$$($$(PKG)_CONF_ENV) $$(BR2_CMAKE) $$($$(PKG)_SRCDIR) \
-		-G"Unix Makefiles" \
+		-G$$($$(PKG)_GENERATOR) \
+		-DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM="$$($$(PKG)_GENERATOR_PROGRAM)" \
 		-DCMAKE_INSTALL_SO_NO_EXE=0 \
 		-DCMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH="$$(HOST_DIR)" \
 		-DCMAKE_FIND_ROOT_PATH_MODE_PROGRAM="BOTH" \
@@ -166,11 +183,11 @@ $(2)_DEPENDENCIES += $(BR2_CMAKE_HOST_DEPENDENCY)
 ifndef $(2)_BUILD_CMDS
 ifeq ($(4),target)
 define $(2)_BUILD_CMDS
-	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS) -C $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR)
+	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_ENV) $$(BR2_CMAKE) --build $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR) -j$(PARALLEL_JOBS) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_OPTS)
 endef
 else
 define $(2)_BUILD_CMDS
-	$$(HOST_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS) -C $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR)
+	$$(HOST_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_ENV) $$(BR2_CMAKE) --build $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR) -j$(PARALLEL_JOBS) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_OPTS)
 endef
 endif
 endif
@@ -181,7 +198,7 @@ endif
 #
 ifndef $(2)_INSTALL_CMDS
 define $(2)_INSTALL_CMDS
-	$$(HOST_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_OPTS) -C $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR)
+	$$(HOST_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_ENV) $$(BR2_CMAKE) --install $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_OPTS)
 endef
 endif
 
@@ -191,7 +208,7 @@ endif
 #
 ifndef $(2)_INSTALL_STAGING_CMDS
 define $(2)_INSTALL_STAGING_CMDS
-	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_STAGING_OPTS) -C $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR)
+	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_ENV) DESTDIR=$$(STAGING_DIR) $$(BR2_CMAKE) --install $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_STAGING_OPTS)
 endef
 endif
 
@@ -201,7 +218,7 @@ endif
 #
 ifndef $(2)_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
 define $(2)_INSTALL_TARGET_CMDS
-	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE) $$($$(PKG)_MAKE_OPTS) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_TARGET_OPTS) -C $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR)
+	$$(TARGET_MAKE_ENV) $$($$(PKG)_BUILD_ENV) DESTDIR=$$(TARGET_DIR) $$(BR2_CMAKE) --install $$($$(PKG)_BUILDDIR) $$($$(PKG)_INSTALL_TARGET_OPTS)
 endef
 endif