diff --git a/package/dash/dash.mk b/package/dash/dash.mk
index 2ee292b8d3..2d415558d2 100644
--- a/package/dash/dash.mk
+++ b/package/dash/dash.mk
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ DASH_SITE = http://gondor.apana.org.au/~herbert/dash/files
 DASH_LICENSE = BSD-3-Clause, GPL-2.0+ (mksignames.c)
 DASH_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 
+# dash does not build in parallel
+DASH_MAKE = $(MAKE1)
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBEDIT),y)
 DASH_DEPENDENCIES += libedit host-pkgconf
 DASH_CONF_OPTS += --with-libedit