diff --git a/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass b/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
index b315737fd2..d45fa25c32 100644
--- a/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/kernel.bbclass
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ kernel_do_compile() {
                use_alternate_initrd=CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE=${B}/usr/${INITRAMFS_IMAGE_NAME}.cpio
        fi
        for typeformake in ${KERNEL_IMAGETYPE_FOR_MAKE} ; do
-               oe_runmake ${typeformake} ${KERNEL_EXTRA_ARGS} $use_alternate_initrd
+               oe_runmake ${PARALLEL_MAKE} ${typeformake} ${KERNEL_EXTRA_ARGS} $use_alternate_initrd
        done
 }