diff --git a/default/makepkg/blob-parallel.conf b/default/makepkg/blob-parallel.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06c44a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default/makepkg/blob-parallel.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MAKEFLAGS="-j$(nproc)"
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index ac58455..41ec49d 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ install_bar_widgets
 remove_omarchy_font
 refresh_font_cache
 install_shell_profile
+install_makepkg_config
 install_bash_integration
 install_user_units
 install_systemd_dropins
diff --git a/install/steps/config.sh b/install/steps/config.sh
index 6fbfda8..904d4a0 100644
--- a/install/steps/config.sh
+++ b/install/steps/config.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # having run first.
 link_blob_path() {
   local current=""
-  [[ -L $blob_path ]] && current="$(readlink -f "$blob_path")"
+  [[ -L $blob_path ]] && current="$(readlink -f "$blob_path" || true)"
 
   if [[ $current == "$repo_dir" ]]; then
     say "ok    BLOB_PATH -> $repo_dir"
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ install_shell_profile() {
   install_root_file "$repo_dir/session/profile.sh" /etc/profile.d/blob.sh "profile.d/blob.sh"
 }
 
+install_makepkg_config() {
+  install_root_file "$repo_dir/default/makepkg/blob-parallel.conf" \
+    /etc/makepkg.conf.d/blob-parallel.conf "makepkg.conf.d/blob-parallel.conf"
+}
+
 install_zen_config() {
   local profile
   profile="$(find "$config_dir/zen" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name '*.Default (release)*' 2>/dev/null | head -1)"
diff --git a/install/steps/theme.sh b/install/steps/theme.sh
index 87c4fdb..1bd9fa8 100644
--- a/install/steps/theme.sh
+++ b/install/steps/theme.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ link_wallpapers() {
   local source="$repo_dir/wallpapers"
   local current=""
 
-  [[ -L $wallpaper_dir ]] && current="$(readlink -f "$wallpaper_dir")"
+  [[ -L $wallpaper_dir ]] && current="$(readlink -f "$wallpaper_dir" || true)"
 
   if [[ $current == "$source" ]]; then
     say "ok    wallpapers"
diff --git a/session/env-bootstrap b/session/env-bootstrap
index e89104e..7708e22 100644
--- a/session/env-bootstrap
+++ b/session/env-bootstrap
@@ -14,3 +14,10 @@ case ":$PATH:" in
 *) PATH="${PATH:+$PATH:}$HOME/.local/bin" ;;
 esac
 export PATH
+
+cpu_cores=$(nproc 2>/dev/null || echo 1)
+: "${MAKEFLAGS:=-j$cpu_cores}"
+: "${CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL:=$cpu_cores}"
+: "${CARGO_BUILD_JOBS:=$cpu_cores}"
+export MAKEFLAGS CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL CARGO_BUILD_JOBS
+unset cpu_cores