diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 DOWNLOAD_RETRIES:=3
 HOST_ID_SALT ?= salt
 BUILD_ID_SALT ?= salt
+JOBS ?= $(shell nproc 2> /dev/null || sysctl -n hw.ncpu 2> /dev/null || echo 1)
 
 host:=$(BUILD)
 ifneq ($(HOST),)
diff --git a/depends/README.md b/depends/README.md
--- a/depends/README.md
+++ b/depends/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 For example:
 
-    make HOST=x86_64-w64-mingw32 -j4
+    make HOST=x86_64-w64-mingw32
 
 A prefix will be generated that's suitable for plugging into Bitcoin's
 configure. In the above example, a dir named x86_64-w64-mingw32 will be
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     DEBUG: disable some optimizations and enable more runtime checking
     HOST_ID_SALT: Optional salt to use when generating host package ids
     BUILD_ID_SALT: Optional salt to use when generating build package ids
+    JOBS: Number of jobs to use for each package build
 
 If some packages are not built, for example `make NO_WALLET=1`, the appropriate
 options will be passed to bitcoin's configure. In this case, `--disable-wallet`.
diff --git a/depends/packages/bdb.mk b/depends/packages/bdb.mk
--- a/depends/packages/bdb.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/bdb.mk
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) libdb_cxx-5.3.a libdb-5.3.a
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} libdb_cxx-5.3.a libdb-5.3.a
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/boost.mk b/depends/packages/boost.mk
--- a/depends/packages/boost.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/boost.mk
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  ./b2 -d2 -j2 -d1 --prefix=$($(package)_staging_prefix_dir) $($(package)_config_opts) stage
+  ./b2 -d2 -d1 --prefix=$($(package)_staging_prefix_dir) $($(package)_config_opts) stage
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/dbus.mk b/depends/packages/dbus.mk
--- a/depends/packages/dbus.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/dbus.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) -C dbus libdbus-1.la
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C dbus libdbus-1.la
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/expat.mk b/depends/packages/expat.mk
--- a/depends/packages/expat.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/expat.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk b/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
--- a/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/freetype.mk b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
--- a/depends/packages/freetype.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/libX11.mk b/depends/packages/libX11.mk
--- a/depends/packages/libX11.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libX11.mk
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/libXau.mk b/depends/packages/libXau.mk
--- a/depends/packages/libXau.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libXau.mk
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/libXext.mk b/depends/packages/libXext.mk
--- a/depends/packages/libXext.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libXext.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/libevent.mk b/depends/packages/libevent.mk
--- a/depends/packages/libevent.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libevent.mk
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/libxcb.mk b/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
--- a/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk b/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
--- a/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-	$(MAKE) libminiupnpc.a $($(package)_build_opts)
+	$(MAKE) -j${JOBS} libminiupnpc.a $($(package)_build_opts)
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/native_ccache.mk b/depends/packages/native_ccache.mk
--- a/depends/packages/native_ccache.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/native_ccache.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/native_cctools.mk b/depends/packages/native_cctools.mk
--- a/depends/packages/native_cctools.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/native_cctools.mk
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/native_protobuf.mk b/depends/packages/native_protobuf.mk
--- a/depends/packages/native_protobuf.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/native_protobuf.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) -C src protoc
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C src protoc
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/protobuf.mk b/depends/packages/protobuf.mk
--- a/depends/packages/protobuf.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/protobuf.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) -C src libprotobuf.la
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C src libprotobuf.la
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/qrencode.mk b/depends/packages/qrencode.mk
--- a/depends/packages/qrencode.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/qrencode.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/qt.mk b/depends/packages/qt.mk
--- a/depends/packages/qt.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/qt.mk
@@ -165,11 +165,11 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) && \
-  $(MAKE) -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lconvert && \
-  $(MAKE) -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lrelease && \
-  $(MAKE) -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lupdate && \
-  $(MAKE) -C ../qttranslations
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} && \
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lconvert && \
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lrelease && \
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C ../qttools/src/linguist/lupdate && \
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} -C ../qttranslations
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk b/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
--- a/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/xextproto.mk b/depends/packages/xextproto.mk
--- a/depends/packages/xextproto.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xextproto.mk
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/xproto.mk b/depends/packages/xproto.mk
--- a/depends/packages/xproto.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xproto.mk
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/xtrans.mk b/depends/packages/xtrans.mk
--- a/depends/packages/xtrans.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xtrans.mk
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE)
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS}
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/zeromq.mk b/depends/packages/zeromq.mk
--- a/depends/packages/zeromq.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/zeromq.mk
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) libzmq.la
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} libzmq.la
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds
diff --git a/depends/packages/zlib.mk b/depends/packages/zlib.mk
--- a/depends/packages/zlib.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/zlib.mk
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 endef
 
 define $(package)_build_cmds
-  $(MAKE) $($(package)_build_opts) libz.a
+  $(MAKE) -j${JOBS} $($(package)_build_opts) libz.a
 endef
 
 define $(package)_stage_cmds