diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index e2230ceafce0bb041cf0075923eef2d62e1821fe..b00fa57415c8ed2574ecc46911fe529377bb8bc9 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ build-codec-windows-msbuild:
     - *print-common-info-windows
     - *activate-WX-windows
     - py .\scripts\strip_split_rendering.py
-    - MSBuild.exe .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Debug
+    - MSBuild.exe -maxcpucount .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Debug
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Test jobs for merge requests
@@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ be-2-evs-windows:
     - *print-common-info-windows
 
     - $winoutdata = $null
-    - MSBuild.exe .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Release | tee -variable winoutdata
+    - MSBuild.exe -maxcpucount .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Release | tee -variable winoutdata
     - $winoutdata | Out-File $BUILD_OUTPUT -Encoding Utf8
 
     # copy over to never change the testvector dir
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ test-be-to-release:
   script:
 
     - echo "$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH"
-    - MSBuild.exe .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Debug /p:Platform=win32 /m | tee -variable winoutdata
+    - MSBuild.exe -maxcpucount .\Workspace_msvc\Workspace_msvc.sln /property:Configuration=Debug /p:Platform=win32 /m | tee -variable winoutdata
 
     # path to release candidate refs defined in config.toml