diff --git a/recipes/games/eduke32/recipe.toml b/recipes/games/eduke32/recipe.toml
index 2cc38c16..9f256299 100644
--- a/recipes/games/eduke32/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/games/eduke32/recipe.toml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ rsync -av --delete "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/" ./
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -I${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/include/SDL"
 export SDLCONFIG="${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/bin/sdl-config --prefix=${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}"
 
-PLATFORM=REDOX "${COOKBOOK_MAKE}" -j"$($NPROC)"
+PLATFORM=REDOX "${COOKBOOK_MAKE}" -j"$COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS"
 
 mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/games"
 cp -v ./eduke32 "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/games/eduke32"
diff --git a/recipes/libs/duktape/recipe.toml b/recipes/libs/duktape/recipe.toml
index 13b3f178..e00eb234 100644
--- a/recipes/libs/duktape/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/libs/duktape/recipe.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ rsync -av --delete "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/" ./
 
 sed -i "s/= gcc/= ${TARGET}-gcc/g" Makefile.cmdline
 
-"${COOKBOOK_MAKE}" -f Makefile.cmdline -j"$($NPROC)"
+"${COOKBOOK_MAKE}" -f Makefile.cmdline -j"$COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS"
 
 mkdir -pv "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin"
 cp ./duk "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/usr/bin/duk"
diff --git a/recipes/web/netsurf/recipe.toml b/recipes/web/netsurf/recipe.toml
index fabdc032..c403fafe 100644
--- a/recipes/web/netsurf/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/web/netsurf/recipe.toml
@@ -26,14 +26,17 @@ DYNAMIC_INIT
 # Netsurf does not currently support out-of-tree builds :(
 rsync -av --delete "${COOKBOOK_SOURCE}/" ./
 
+# obscure crash from sccache if jobs number is too much
+COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS="$(( ${COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS} > 8 ? 8 : ${COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS} ))"
+
 export TARGET="framebuffer"
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -I${PWD}/inst-${TARGET}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/lib -L${PWD}/inst-${TARGET}/lib -Wl,--allow-multiple-definition -Wl,-rpath-link,${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}/lib"
 # nghttp2 is not linked for some reason
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -lcurl -lnghttp2"
 
-"$COOKBOOK_MAKE" PREFIX=/usr V=1 -j"$($NPROC)"
-"$COOKBOOK_MAKE" DESTDIR="$COOKBOOK_STAGE" PREFIX=/usr install -j"$($NPROC)"
+"$COOKBOOK_MAKE" PREFIX=/usr V=1 -j"$COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS"
+"$COOKBOOK_MAKE" DESTDIR="$COOKBOOK_STAGE" PREFIX=/usr install -j"$COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS"
 mkdir -pv "$COOKBOOK_STAGE/ui/apps"
 cp -v "${COOKBOOK_RECIPE}/manifest" "$COOKBOOK_STAGE/ui/apps/00_netsurf"
 """
diff --git a/recipes/wip/vice/recipe.sh b/recipes/wip/vice/recipe.sh
index 1f5a713e..fc46f122 100644
--- a/recipes/wip/vice/recipe.sh
+++ b/recipes/wip/vice/recipe.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ function recipe_build {
         --disable-rs232 \
         --disable-realdevice \
         --disable-midi
-    "$REDOX_MAKE" -j"$($NPROC)"
+    "$REDOX_MAKE" -j"$COOKBOOK_MAKE_JOBS"
     skip=1
 }