diff --git a/meta-oe/recipes-benchmark/wrk/wrk_4.2.0.bb b/meta-oe/recipes-benchmark/wrk/wrk_4.2.0.bb
index 47ca9ada01..d06d86825b 100644
--- a/meta-oe/recipes-benchmark/wrk/wrk_4.2.0.bb
+++ b/meta-oe/recipes-benchmark/wrk/wrk_4.2.0.bb
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ EXTRA_OEMAKE = "\
 
 do_compile() {
     export LUA_PATH="${RECIPE_SYSROOT_NATIVE}/usr/share/luajit-2.1/?.lua;;"
+    # The obj/bytecode.c rule has no dependency on obj/, so with parallel make
+    # luajit can run before the directory exists. Create it up front.
+    mkdir -p ${S}/obj
     oe_runmake
 }