diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3306c8d1..35ff1942 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ build		:= $(pwd)/build
 config		:= $(pwd)/build
 INSTALL		:= $(pwd)/install
 log_dir		:= $(build)/log
+MAKE_JOB	?= 8
 
 # Create the log directory if it doesn't already exist
 BUILD_LOG := $(shell [ -d "$(log_dir)" ] || mkdir "$(log_dir)")
@@ -334,7 +335,7 @@ all:
 
 # How to download and build the correct version of make
 $(HEADS_MAKE): $(build)/$(make_dir)/Makefile
-	make -C "`dirname $@`" -j8 \
+	make -C "`dirname $@`" -j$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 		2>&1 \
 		| tee "$(log_dir)/make.log" \
 		$(VERBOSE_REDIRECT)
diff --git a/modules/busybox b/modules/busybox
index 1d1839b4..85a008db 100644
--- a/modules/busybox
+++ b/modules/busybox
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ busybox_output := busybox
 busybox_target := \
 	CC="$(heads_cc)" \
 	CONFIG_PREFIX="$(INSTALL)" \
-	-j 8 \
+	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install
 
 busybox_depends := $(musl_dep)
diff --git a/modules/coreboot b/modules/coreboot
index 57df65f4..3481d3b4 100644
--- a/modules/coreboot
+++ b/modules/coreboot
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ coreboot_target := \
 	BUILD_TIMELESS=1 \
 	CFLAGS_x86_32="$(EXTRA_FLAGS)" \
 	CFLAGS_x86_64="$(EXTRA_FLAGS)" \
-	-j 8
+	-j $(MAKE_JOBS)
 
 coreboot_output := $(BOARD)/coreboot.rom
 
diff --git a/modules/cryptsetup b/modules/cryptsetup
index 81748c2d..8f7b66c0 100644
--- a/modules/cryptsetup
+++ b/modules/cryptsetup
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ cryptsetup_configure := ./configure \
 # but after building, replace prefix so that they will be installed
 # in the correct directory.
 cryptsetup_target := \
-	-j 8 \
+	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C $(build)/$(cryptsetup_dir) \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/gpg b/modules/gpg
index ac499057..fad79334 100644
--- a/modules/gpg
+++ b/modules/gpg
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ gpg_configure := ./configure \
 # Run one build to generate the executables with the pre-defined
 # exec_prefix and datarootdir, then a second make to install the binaries
 # into our actual target location
-gpg_target := -j 8 \
+gpg_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) -C $(build)/$(gpg_dir) \
 		exec_prefix=$(pwd)/install \
 		datarootdir=$(pwd)/install/share \
diff --git a/modules/libuuid b/modules/libuuid
index 855a9908..b3fe04fa 100644
--- a/modules/libuuid
+++ b/modules/libuuid
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ libuuid_configure := ./configure \
 	--prefix "" \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-libuuid_target := -j 8 && \
+libuuid_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) && \
 	$(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(libuuid_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/linux b/modules/linux
index 5a713065..115a2579 100644
--- a/modules/linux
+++ b/modules/linux
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@ linux_target := \
 	KBUILD_BUILD_HOST=heads-build \
 	KBUILD_BUILD_TIMESTAMP="1970-00-00" \
 	KBUILD_BUILD_VERSION=0 \
-	-j 8 \
+	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	bzImage
diff --git a/modules/mbedtls b/modules/mbedtls
index e5dcf4e2..19dca3e1 100644
--- a/modules/mbedtls
+++ b/modules/mbedtls
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mbedtls_target := \
 	SHARED=1 \
 	DESTDIR=$(INSTALL) \
 	CC="$(heads_cc)" \
-	-j 8 \
+	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install
 
 mbedtls_depends := $(musl_dep)
diff --git a/modules/musl b/modules/musl
index b34a540c..6f77cc48 100644
--- a/modules/musl
+++ b/modules/musl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ musl_configure := ./configure \
 
 
 
-musl_target := -j 8 install
+musl_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) install
 #musl_target :=  install
 
 musl_depends := kernel-headers musl-cross
diff --git a/modules/popt b/modules/popt
index 9803bec3..51947fe7 100644
--- a/modules/popt
+++ b/modules/popt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ popt_configure := ./configure \
 	--prefix "" \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-popt_target := -j 8 \
+popt_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(popt_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/qrencode b/modules/qrencode
index 8f1ae921..e7b8f0da 100644
--- a/modules/qrencode
+++ b/modules/qrencode
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ qrencode_configure := ./configure \
 	--without-tools \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-qrencode_target := -j 8 \
+qrencode_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(qrencode_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/xen b/modules/xen
index 49cc50f8..443a5ceb 100644
--- a/modules/xen
+++ b/modules/xen
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ xen_hash := 02badfce9a037bd1bd4a94210c1f6b85467746216c71795805102b514bcf1fc4
 
 xen_output := xen.gz
 xen_configure := 
-xen_target := -j 8
+xen_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS)