diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/2.8.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/2.8.nix
index 52c577aedb3..a197c69edff 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/2.8.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/2.8.nix
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
         --subst-var-by libc_bin ${getBin cc.libc} \
         --subst-var-by libc_dev ${getDev cc.libc} \
         --subst-var-by libc_lib ${getLib cc.libc}
+      configureFlags="--parallel=''${NIX_BUILD_CORES:-1} $configureFlags"
     '';
 
   meta = {
diff --git a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/default.nix b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/default.nix
index 012ece041b2..9cc8d987570 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/tools/build-managers/cmake/default.nix
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
         --subst-var-by libc_lib ${getLib cc.libc}
       substituteInPlace Modules/FindCxxTest.cmake \
         --replace "$""{PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" ${stdenv.shell}
+      configureFlags="--parallel=''${NIX_BUILD_CORES:-1} $configureFlags"
     '';
   configureFlags =
     [ "--docdir=share/doc/${name}"