diff --git a/tools/test/examples/examples.py b/tools/test/examples/examples.py
index 5974633630..f8f7e69b50 100644
--- a/tools/test/examples/examples.py
+++ b/tools/test/examples/examples.py
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ def main():
                              help=("build profile file"),
                              metavar="profile")
 
+    compile_cmd.add_argument("-j", "--jobs",
+                             dest='jobs',
+                             metavar="NUMBER",
+                             type=int,
+                             default=0,
+                             help="Number of concurrent jobs. Default: 0/auto (based on host machine's number of CPUs)")
+
     compile_cmd.add_argument("-v", "--verbose",
                              action="store_true",
                              dest="verbose",
@@ -136,8 +143,7 @@ def do_deploy(_, config, examples):
 
 def do_compile(args, config, examples):
     """Do the compile step"""
-    results = {}
-    results = lib.compile_repos(config, args.toolchains, args.mcu, args.profile, args.verbose, examples)
+    results = lib.compile_repos(config, args.toolchains, args.mcu, args.profile, args.verbose, examples, args.jobs)
     lib.print_summary(results)
     failures = lib.get_num_failures(results)
     print("Number of failures = %d" % failures)
diff --git a/tools/test/examples/examples_lib.py b/tools/test/examples/examples_lib.py
index df54d9a8e3..4d57cdc1d8 100644
--- a/tools/test/examples/examples_lib.py
+++ b/tools/test/examples/examples_lib.py
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ def export_repos(config, ides, targets, examples):
     return results
 
 
-def compile_repos(config, toolchains, targets, profile, verbose, examples):
+def compile_repos(config, toolchains, targets, profile, verbose, examples, jobs=0):
     """Compiles combinations of example programs, targets and compile chains.
 
        The results are returned in a [key: value] dictionary format:
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ def compile_repos(config, toolchains, targets, profile, verbose, examples):
                                                                 valid_choices(example['toolchains'], toolchains),
                                                                 example['features']):
                     
-                    build_command = ["mbed-cli", "compile", "-t", toolchain, "-m", target] + (['-vv'] if verbose else [])
+                    build_command = ["mbed-cli", "compile", "-t", toolchain, "-m", target, "-j", str(jobs)] + (['-vv'] if verbose else [])
                     if profile:
                         build_command.append("--profile")
                         build_command.append(profile)