diff --git a/.devcontainer/develop-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/develop-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
index 47a5a682dff..20455fcebe1 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/develop-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/develop-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "name": "CoCalc Docker",
     "image": "sagemathinc/cocalc",
     "containerEnv": {
-        "MAKE": "make -j12"
+        "MAKE": "make -j4"
     },
     // Run commands after the container is created.
     // libgmp.a is broken and leads to a build failure of ecm.
diff --git a/.devcontainer/develop-docker-computop/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/develop-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
index 639fc9543a4..9754febbc22 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/develop-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/develop-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "name": "computop/sage Docker",
     "image": "computop/sage",
     "containerEnv": {
-        "MAKE": "make -j12"
+        "MAKE": "make -j4"
     },
     // Run commands after the container is created.
     // Install build tools, get rid of sourcing /sage/activate in non-login shells.
diff --git a/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
index d77f5f71df5..a7ec23682a8 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-cocalc/devcontainer.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "name": "CoCalc Docker",
     "image": "sagemathinc/cocalc",
     "containerEnv": {
-        "MAKE": "make -j12"
+        "MAKE": "make -j4"
     },
     // Run commands after the container is created.
     // libgmp.a is broken and leads to a build failure of ecm.
diff --git a/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-computop/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
index 0f9ba0b8841..bcf7f2e3cfe 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/downstream-docker-computop/devcontainer.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "name": "computop/sage Docker",
     "image": "computop/sage",
     "containerEnv": {
-        "MAKE": "make -j12"
+        "MAKE": "make -j4"
     },
     // Run commands after the container is created.
     // Install build tools, get rid of sourcing /sage/activate in non-login shells.
diff --git a/.devcontainer/portability-centos-7-devtoolset-gcc_11-standard/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/portability-centos-7-devtoolset-gcc_11-standard/devcontainer.json
index 4a97fb3cb2c..eb416d68c85 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/portability-centos-7-devtoolset-gcc_11-standard/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/portability-centos-7-devtoolset-gcc_11-standard/devcontainer.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 		    }
 	},
 	"containerEnv": {
-	    "MAKE": "make -j12"
+	    "MAKE": "make -j4"
 	},
 	// Run commands after the container is created.
 	"postCreateCommand": ".devcontainer/post_create.sh",
diff --git a/.devcontainer/portability-ubuntu-jammy-standard/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/portability-ubuntu-jammy-standard/devcontainer.json
index 1ce79588c26..80fdc0de1b3 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/portability-ubuntu-jammy-standard/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/portability-ubuntu-jammy-standard/devcontainer.json
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 		    }
 	},
 	"containerEnv": {
-	    "MAKE": "make -j12"
+	    "MAKE": "make -j4"
 	},
 	// Run commands after the container is created.
 	"postCreateCommand": ".devcontainer/post_create.sh",