diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8b6d495288..814f51873f 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ include:
       else
         ../configure --enable-werror $CONFIGURE_ARGS ;
       fi || { cat config.log meson-logs/meson-log.txt && exit 1; }
+    - if test -n "$LD_JOBS";
+      then
+        meson configure . -Dbackend_max_links="$LD_JOBS" ;
+      fi || exit 1;
     - make -j"$JOBS"
     - if test -n "$MAKE_CHECK_ARGS";
       then