diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index 6b3617f7768..e93aebf67db 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
 PKG_INFO_DIR := $(STAGING_DIR)/pkginfo
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_USE_JOBSERVER),)
-  MAKE_J:=$(MAKE_JOBSERVER)
+  MAKE_J:=$(if $(MAKE_JOBSERVER),$(MAKE_JOBSERVER) -j)
 else
   MAKE_J:=-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS)
 endif
diff --git a/include/toplevel.mk b/include/toplevel.mk
index ba5af9c1557..5b76a0706f2 100644
--- a/include/toplevel.mk
+++ b/include/toplevel.mk
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ prereq:: prepare-tmpinfo .config
 			echo "WARNING: your configuration is out of sync. Please run make menuconfig, oldconfig or defconfig!"; \
 		fi \
 	)
-	@+$(SUBMAKE) -r $@ MAKE_JOBSERVER="$(filter --jobserver% -j,$(MAKEFLAGS))"
+	@+$(SUBMAKE) -r $@ MAKE_JOBSERVER="$(filter --jobserver%,$(MAKEFLAGS))"
 
 help:
 	cat README