diff --git a/Mk/bsd.commands.mk b/Mk/bsd.commands.mk
--- a/Mk/bsd.commands.mk
+++ b/Mk/bsd.commands.mk
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 # a make target
 MOUNT_NULLFS?=		/sbin/mount_nullfs
 MV?=			/bin/mv
+NPROC?=			/bin/nproc
 OBJCOPY?=		/usr/bin/objcopy
 OBJDUMP?=		/usr/bin/objdump
 PASTE?=			/usr/bin/paste
diff --git a/Mk/bsd.port.mk b/Mk/bsd.port.mk
--- a/Mk/bsd.port.mk
+++ b/Mk/bsd.port.mk
@@ -2041,7 +2041,7 @@
 _MAKE_JOBS_NUMBER:=	${MAKE_JOBS_NUMBER}
 .      else
 .        if !defined(_SMP_CPUS)
-_SMP_CPUS!=		${SYSCTL} -n kern.smp.cpus
+_SMP_CPUS!=		${NPROC} 2>/dev/null || ${SYSCTL} -n kern.smp.cpus
 .        endif
 _EXPORTED_VARS+=	_SMP_CPUS
 _MAKE_JOBS_NUMBER=	${_SMP_CPUS}