diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index d18f15995..8c4094974 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 variables:
     UPSTREAM_REPO: xorg/xserver
     DEBIAN_VERSION: testing-slim
-    DEBIAN_EXEC: 'bash .gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh'
+    DEBIAN_EXEC: 'env FDO_CI_CONCURRENT=${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT} bash .gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh'
 
     DEBIAN_TAG: "2020-04-21"
     IMAGE_LOCAL: "$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/debian/$DEBIAN_VERSION:$DEBIAN_TAG"
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ autotools:
         - mkdir build/
         - cd build/
         - ../autogen.sh --prefix=/usr CFLAGS="-fno-common"
-        - make -j4 distcheck
-        - PIGLIT_DIR=/root/piglit XTEST_DIR=/root/xts make -j4 check
+        - make -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} distcheck
+        - PIGLIT_DIR=/root/piglit XTEST_DIR=/root/xts make -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} check
         - cd ..
         - .gitlab-ci/manpages-check
 
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ meson:
         XTEST_DIR: /root/xts
     script:
         - meson -Dc_args="-fno-common" -Dprefix=/usr -Dxephyr=true -Dwerror=true $MESON_EXTRA_OPTIONS build/
-        - ninja -j4 -C build/ install
-        - ninja -j4 -C build/ test
+        - ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ install
+        - ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build/ test
         - .gitlab-ci/manpages-check
 
 meson-noglamor:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh b/.gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh
index 845b49581..93de2a6b4 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/debian-install.sh
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ git clone https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/piglit.git --depth 1
 git clone https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/test/xts --depth 1
 cd xts
 ./autogen.sh
-xvfb-run make -j4
+xvfb-run make -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4}
 cd ..
 
 git clone https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/test/rendercheck --depth 1
 cd rendercheck
 meson build
-ninja -j4 -C build install
+ninja -j${FDO_CI_CONCURRENT:-4} -C build install
 cd ..
 
 rm -rf piglit/.git xts/.git piglit/tests/spec/