diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-airgap-image-bundle.yml b/.github/workflows/build-airgap-image-bundle.yml
index 9960d615b6ea..72469322450f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-airgap-image-bundle.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-airgap-image-bundle.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ on:
         description: The airgap image bundle's cache key.
         value: ${{ jobs.build.outputs.cache-key }}
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: "${{ inputs.target-os }}-${{ inputs.target-arch }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/build-docs.yml
index 6ff1ea518bdf..330977ccbb3d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-docs.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ on:
       - CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
       - docs/**
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Build docs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-k0s.yml b/.github/workflows/build-k0s.yml
index 61732b0d12f9..a9885e19067b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-k0s.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-k0s.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
         required: true
         description: The architecture to build k0s for.
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: ${{ inputs.target-os }}-${{ inputs.target-arch }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-network.yaml b/.github/workflows/check-network.yaml
index e817550d2e67..45b161d52754 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-network.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-network.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ on:
   schedule:
     - cron: "0 23 * * *"
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   check-network:
     env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index e453c7cfee5c..1fd085119b9e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ on:
       - '.github/workflows/mkdocs-set-default-version.yml'
       - 'mkdocs.yml'
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   prepare:
     name: Prepare
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
index d7fbdf2e26b1..6b4c33a9021f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yaml
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ on:
       - 'mkdocs.yml'
       - '*.md'
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   lint:
     name: Lint
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ostests-e2e.yaml b/.github/workflows/ostests-e2e.yaml
index 04a4d9577cd9..b145584e6c87 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ostests-e2e.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ostests-e2e.yaml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ env:
   # This is hopefully somewhat physically close to where the hosted GitHub runners live.
   # https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/24969#discussioncomment-3246032
   AWS_REGION: us-east-1
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
 
 jobs:
   e2e-tests:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-docs-manual.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-docs-manual.yml
index f67acd694a1d..c138dbe15cc7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-docs-manual.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-docs-manual.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ on:
         required: true
 
 env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
   PYTHON_VERSION: 3.x
   TARGET_VERSION: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
index 9867f50932b3..ef290937e6b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ on:
     types:
       - published
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Deploy docs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 58b474aadac7..c5ebdc11eeaf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ on:
     tags:
       - v* # Push events to matching v*, i.e. v1.0, v20.15.10
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   release:
     env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sbom-upload.yml b/.github/workflows/sbom-upload.yml
index 6dff9b134361..67a41b046b2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sbom-upload.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sbom-upload.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ on:
     branches:
       - main
 
+env:
+  MAKEFLAGS: -j
+
 jobs:
   sbom-upload:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/vars.sh b/vars.sh
index 240a3158fbb8..56d1eb92d0c2 100755
--- a/vars.sh
+++ b/vars.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 
 set -eu
 
+# Don't deal with recursive make stuff here!
+unset -v MAKEFLAGS MAKELEVEL
+
 from=
 var=