diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a649594..a895f53 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ build		:= $(pwd)/build
 config		:= $(pwd)/build
 INSTALL		:= $(pwd)/install
 log_dir		:= $(build)/log
-MAKE_JOB	?= 8
+MAKE_JOBS	?= -j8 --max-load 24
 
 # Create the log directory if it doesn't already exist
 BUILD_LOG := $(shell [ -d "$(log_dir)" ] || mkdir "$(log_dir)")
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ heads_cc	:= $(INSTALL)/bin/musl-gcc \
 	-fdebug-prefix-map=$(pwd)=heads \
 	-gno-record-gcc-switches \
 
-CROSS		:= $(build)/$(musl-cross_dir)/../../crossgcc/x86_64-linux-musl/bin/x86_64-musl-linux-
+CROSS		:= $(build)/../crossgcc/x86_64-linux-musl/bin/x86_64-musl-linux-
 
 #heads_cc	:= $(HOME)/install/x86_64-linux-musl/x86_64-linux-musl/bin/gcc
 
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ initrd/bin/busybox: $(build)/$(busybox_dir)/busybox
 		-C $(build)/$(busybox_dir) \
 		CC="$(heads_cc)" \
 		CONFIG_PREFIX="$(pwd)/initrd" \
-		-j 8 \
+		$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 		install
 
 # hack to build cbmem from coreboot
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ all:
 
 # How to download and build the correct version of make
 $(HEADS_MAKE): $(build)/$(make_dir)/Makefile
-	make -C "`dirname $@`" -j$(MAKE_JOBS) \
+	make -C "`dirname $@`" $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 		2>&1 \
 		| tee "$(log_dir)/make.log" \
 		$(VERBOSE_REDIRECT)
diff --git a/modules/busybox b/modules/busybox
index 85a008d..0f18077 100644
--- a/modules/busybox
+++ b/modules/busybox
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ busybox_output := busybox
 busybox_target := \
 	CC="$(heads_cc)" \
 	CONFIG_PREFIX="$(INSTALL)" \
-	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
+	$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install
 
 busybox_depends := $(musl_dep)
diff --git a/modules/coreboot b/modules/coreboot
index 3481d3b..5eea5eb 100644
--- a/modules/coreboot
+++ b/modules/coreboot
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ coreboot_target := \
 	BUILD_TIMELESS=1 \
 	CFLAGS_x86_32="$(EXTRA_FLAGS)" \
 	CFLAGS_x86_64="$(EXTRA_FLAGS)" \
-	-j $(MAKE_JOBS)
+	$(MAKE_JOBS)
 
 coreboot_output := $(BOARD)/coreboot.rom
 
diff --git a/modules/cryptsetup b/modules/cryptsetup
index 8f7b66c..6da0d48 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 $(MAKE_JOBS) \
+	$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C $(build)/$(cryptsetup_dir) \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/kexec b/modules/kexec
index b4bc9d8..527de7d 100644
--- a/modules/kexec
+++ b/modules/kexec
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ kexec_configure := ./configure \
 	&& $(MAKE) clean
 
 kexec_target := \
+	$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install \
 
 kexec_output := build/sbin/kexec
diff --git a/modules/libuuid b/modules/libuuid
index b3fe04f..8e8174a 100644
--- a/modules/libuuid
+++ b/modules/libuuid
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ libuuid_configure := ./configure \
 	--prefix "" \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-libuuid_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) && \
+libuuid_target := $(MAKE_JOBS) && \
 	$(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(libuuid_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/lvm2 b/modules/lvm2
index 2b1730c..4c57f71 100644
--- a/modules/lvm2
+++ b/modules/lvm2
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ lvm2_configure := \
 
 # not sure why LIB_SUFFIX is not defined in the cross build
 lvm2_target := \
+	$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install_device-mapper \
 
 #lvm2_libraries := libdm/libdevmapper.so
diff --git a/modules/mbedtls b/modules/mbedtls
index 19dca3e..8696f14 100644
--- a/modules/mbedtls
+++ b/modules/mbedtls
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mbedtls_target := \
 	SHARED=1 \
 	DESTDIR=$(INSTALL) \
 	CC="$(heads_cc)" \
-	-j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
+	$(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	install
 
 mbedtls_depends := $(musl_dep)
diff --git a/modules/musl b/modules/musl
index cc94d30..187b3e3 100644
--- a/modules/musl
+++ b/modules/musl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ musl_configure := ./configure \
 
 
 
-musl_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) install
+musl_target := $(MAKE_JOBS) install
 #musl_target :=  install
 
 musl_depends := kernel-headers musl-cross
diff --git a/modules/popt b/modules/popt
index 51947fe..7ed30ed 100644
--- a/modules/popt
+++ b/modules/popt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ popt_configure := ./configure \
 	--prefix "" \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-popt_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
+popt_target := $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(popt_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/qrencode b/modules/qrencode
index e7b8f0d..ba1e0b9 100644
--- a/modules/qrencode
+++ b/modules/qrencode
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ qrencode_configure := ./configure \
 	--without-tools \
 	--host i386-elf-linux \
 
-qrencode_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS) \
+qrencode_target := $(MAKE_JOBS) \
 	&& $(MAKE) \
 		-C "$(build)/$(qrencode_dir)" \
 		prefix="$(INSTALL)" \
diff --git a/modules/xen b/modules/xen
index 443a5ce..ec3211d 100644
--- a/modules/xen
+++ b/modules/xen
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ xen_hash := 02badfce9a037bd1bd4a94210c1f6b85467746216c71795805102b514bcf1fc4
 
 xen_output := xen.gz
 xen_configure := 
-xen_target := -j $(MAKE_JOBS)
+xen_target := $(MAKE_JOBS)