diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 015abbedd63fa1cae4cc0a37449b775e9efff521..56bbbe97993b3684f8b19efcc0cee3ef03e7c779 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -363,7 +363,8 @@ hadrian-ghc-in-ghci:
     - .gitlab/ci.sh setup
     - .gitlab/ci.sh configure
     # Load ghc-in-ghci then immediately exit and check the modules loaded
-    - echo ":q" | hadrian/ghci -j`mk/detect-cpu-count.sh`| tail -n2 | grep "Ok,"
+    - export CORES="$(mk/detect-cpu-count.sh)"
+    - echo ":q" | HADRIAN_ARGS=-j$CORES hadrian/ghci -j$CORES | tail -n2 | grep "Ok,"
   after_script:
     - .gitlab/ci.sh save_cache
     - cat ci-timings
@@ -414,8 +415,9 @@ hadrian-multi:
     - .gitlab/ci.sh configure
     # Now GHC means, use this GHC for hadrian
     - export GHC=$BOOT_HC
+    - export CORES="$(mk/detect-cpu-count.sh)"
     # Load hadrian-multi then immediately exit and check the modules loaded
-    - echo ":q" | hadrian/ghci-multi -j`mk/detect-cpu-count.sh`| tail -n2 | grep "Ok,"
+    - echo ":q" | HADRIAN_ARGS=-j$CORES hadrian/ghci-multi -j$CORES | tail -n2 | grep "Ok,"
   after_script:
     - .gitlab/ci.sh save_cache
   cache: