diff --git a/include/host-build.mk b/include/host-build.mk
index 4fd6587aec..22bc47d093 100644
--- a/include/host-build.mk
+++ b/include/host-build.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@
 HOST_BUILD_DIR ?= $(BUILD_DIR_HOST)/$(PKG_NAME)$(if $(PKG_VERSION),-$(PKG_VERSION))
 HOST_INSTALL_DIR ?= $(HOST_BUILD_DIR)/host-install
 HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
-HOST_JOBS ?= $(if $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS)))
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)),0)
+HOST_JOBS?=-j1
+else
+HOST_JOBS?=-j$(if $(HOST_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
+	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),1))
+endif
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/unpack.mk
diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index a07d875f8c..aed7dd2b8e 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@ PKG_BUILD_DIR ?= $(BUILD_DIR)/$(PKG_NAME)$(if $(PKG_VERSION),-$(PKG_VERSION))
 PKG_INSTALL_DIR ?= $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/ipkg-install
 PKG_MD5SUM ?= unknown
 PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL ?=
-PKG_JOBS ?= $(if $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),-j$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS)))
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)),0)
+PKG_JOBS?=-j1
+else
+PKG_JOBS?=-j$(if $(PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL)$(CONFIG_PKG_DEFAULT_PARALLEL),\
+	$(if $(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_PARALLEL),$(CONFIG_PKG_BUILD_JOBS),1))
+endif
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/prereq.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk