diff --git a/include/subdir.mk b/include/subdir.mk
index 4fa1bdfd524c32e3c1ad1f7e9835f59f8613e8b2..3bf1a4bb7918c8d8095325dd1603bdf503e554ad 100644
--- a/include/subdir.mk
+++ b/include/subdir.mk
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ define subdir
     $(call warn,$(1),d,BD $(1)/$(bd))
     $(foreach target,$(SUBTARGETS),
       $(call warn_eval,$(1)/$(bd),t,T,$(1)/$(bd)/$(target): $(if $(QUILT),,$($(1)/$(bd)/$(target)) $(call $(1)//$(target),$(1)/$(bd))))
-		+$(if $(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-parallel)),$$(SUBMAKE),$(_SINGLE)$$(SUBMAKE) -j1) \
-			-C $(1)/$(bd) $(target) $(if $(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(target))), || $(call MESSAGE,   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) failed to build.))
+		+$$(SUBMAKE) -C $(1)/$(bd) $(target) $(if $(findstring $(bd),$($(1)/builddirs-ignore-$(target))), || $(call MESSAGE,   ERROR: $(1)/$(bd) failed to build.))
         $$(if $(call debug,$(1)/$(bd),v),,.SILENT: $(1)/$(bd)/$(target))
 
       # legacy targets
diff --git a/target/Makefile b/target/Makefile
index 4c746e2f008a5a26d184f7d5ac8cb2e924f2a7ed..3d36d26718e460396b3655633f71b5f014b8b405 100644
--- a/target/Makefile
+++ b/target/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #
 curdir:=target
 
-$(curdir)/builddirs-parallel:=linux
 $(curdir)/builddirs:=linux sdk imagebuilder
 $(curdir)/builddirs-default:=linux
 $(curdir)/builddirs-install:=linux $(if $(CONFIG_SDK),sdk) $(if $(CONFIG_IB),imagebuilder)
diff --git a/target/imagebuilder/Makefile b/target/imagebuilder/Makefile
index dcd5ca82cc53cdea25ea3f8dbe08769a67917a62..8a3ac7fed9c6c4b490490542b6ab8a0d52e79d7b 100644
--- a/target/imagebuilder/Makefile
+++ b/target/imagebuilder/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk
 
+override MAKEFLAGS=
+
 PKG_OS:=$(shell uname -s)
 PKG_CPU:=$(shell uname -m | sed "s/ //g")
 
diff --git a/target/sdk/Makefile b/target/sdk/Makefile
index 05ae321616632feee8bfb50c2aeb79cb51d4e0d3..de00da825babc53110e713b83651514dc45116f6 100644
--- a/target/sdk/Makefile
+++ b/target/sdk/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/host.mk
 
+override MAKEFLAGS=
+
 PKG_OS:=$(shell uname -s)
 PKG_CPU:=$(shell uname -m)