diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/default.nix
index 1a4f617cf469..2700a9cbad84 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/default.nix
@@ -16,8 +16,16 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     sha256 = "sha256-xBbJh793tPGycD18XkM7qUWMi+Uma/RUy/gBrYfnKTY=";
   };
 
+  patches = [
+    # Proposed upstream as https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-ncurses/2021-12/msg00004.html
+    ./parallel.patch
+  ];
+
+  enableParallelBuilding = true;
+
   meta = with lib; {
     description = "Curses development kit";
+    homepage = "https://invisible-island.net/cdk/";
     license = licenses.bsdOriginal ;
     maintainers = [ maintainers.raskin ];
     platforms = platforms.linux;
diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/parallel.patch b/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/parallel.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..729c71e96aff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/cdk/parallel.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+--- a/Makefile.in
++++ b/Makefile.in
+@@ -296,7 +296,9 @@ LIB_OBJECT	= @LIB_OBJECT@
+ 
+ all sources :: $(AUTO_SRC)
+ 
+-$(OBJECTS) :	include/cdk_config.h
++# make sure we generate all headers before trying
++# to build first source file.
++$(OBJECTS) :	$(MY_HDR)
+ 
+ #
+ # Standard library directive.