diff --git a/include/host-build.mk b/include/host-build.mk
index 456b418f86..a494ceddf3 100644
--- a/include/host-build.mk
+++ b/include/host-build.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ HOST_INSTALL_DIR ?= $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/host-install
 HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_USE_JOBSERVER),)
-  HOST_MAKE_J:=$(if $(MAKE_JOBSERVER),$(MAKE_JOBSERVER) -j)
+  HOST_MAKE_J:=$(if $(MAKE_JOBSERVER),$(MAKE_JOBSERVER) $(if $(filter 3.% 4.0 4.1,$(MAKE_VERSION)),-j))
 else
   HOST_MAKE_J:=-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS)
 endif
diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index 092811c2c2..fa5c4e7d5d 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ PKG_USE_MIPS16 ?= 1
 PKG_IREMAP ?= 1
 
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_USE_JOBSERVER),)
-  MAKE_J:=$(if $(MAKE_JOBSERVER),$(MAKE_JOBSERVER) -j)
+  MAKE_J:=$(if $(MAKE_JOBSERVER),$(MAKE_JOBSERVER) $(if $(filter 3.% 4.0 4.1,$(MAKE_VERSION)),-j))
 else
   MAKE_J:=-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS)
 endif