--- make-3.81/main.c
+++ make-3.81/main.c
@@ -1641,6 +1641,21 @@ main (int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
       error (NILF, _("Resetting to single job (-j1) mode."));
       job_slots = 1;
     }
+#else
+# if defined(PIPE_BUF)
+#  define MAX_JOB_SLOTS PIPE_BUF
+# elif defined(_POSIX_PIPE_BUF)
+#  define MAX_JOB_SLOTS _POSIX_PIPE_BUF
+# else
+#  define MAX_JOB_SLOTS 512
+# endif
+  if (job_slots > MAX_JOB_SLOTS)
+    {
+      error (NILF,
+	     _("Requested more parallel jobs (-jN) than this platform can handle."));
+      error (NILF, _("Resetting to single job (-j1) mode."));
+      job_slots = 1;
+    }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MAKE_JOBSERVER