diff --git a/cmake_targets/build_oai b/cmake_targets/build_oai
index e2aa1384d6..5e1ad1467e 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/build_oai
+++ b/cmake_targets/build_oai
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE="RelWithDebInfo"
 CMAKE_CMD="$CMAKE"
 OPTIONAL_LIBRARIES="telnetsrv enbscope uescope nrscope ldpc_cuda ldpc_t2 websrv oai_iqplayer imscope"
 TARGET_LIST=""
+BUILD_TOOL_OPT="-j$(nproc)"
 
 function print_help() {
   echo_info "
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ for a number of distributions (Ubuntu 22-24, Fedora, RHEL9).
 Options:
 --arch-native
    Passes -march=native to the compiler.
+--build-tool-opt
+   Pass options to build tool (ninja/make), e.g. -k (\"keep going\")
 -c | --clean
    Erase all files to make a rebuild from start
 -C | --clean-all
@@ -160,6 +163,9 @@ function main() {
        --arch-native)
             echo_fatal "Error: specify --arch-native on the command line to cmake directly: ./build_oai --cmake-opt \"-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS=-march=native -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=-march=native\""
             shift;;
+       --build-tool-opt)
+            BUILD_TOOL_OPT+=" $2"
+            shift 2;;
        -c | --clean)
             CLEAN=1
             shift;;
@@ -490,7 +496,7 @@ function main() {
     CMAKE_CMD="$CMAKE_CMD ../../.."
     echo_info "Running \"$CMAKE_CMD\""
     eval $CMAKE_CMD
-    compilations $BUILD_DIR all.txt $TARGET_LIST
+    compilations $BUILD_DIR all.txt "$TARGET_LIST" "${BUILD_TOOL_OPT}"
     ###################
     # Doxygen Support #
     ###################
@@ -513,9 +519,9 @@ function main() {
       cd $DIR/nas_sim_tools/build
 
       ${CMAKE_CMD% *} ..
-      compilations nas_sim_tools usim.txt usim
-      compilations nas_sim_tools nvram.txt nvram
-      compilations nas_sim_tools conf2uedata.txt conf2uedata
+      compilations nas_sim_tools usim.txt "usim" "${BUILD_TOOL_OPT}"
+      compilations nas_sim_tools nvram.txt "nvram" "${BUILD_TOOL_OPT}"
+      compilations nas_sim_tools conf2uedata.txt "conf2uedata" "${BUILD_TOOL_OPT}"
 
       # generate USIM data
       if [ -f conf2uedata ]; then
diff --git a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
index dfb0b5a95e..13c8e4efde 100755
--- a/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
+++ b/cmake_targets/tools/build_helper
@@ -208,20 +208,20 @@ check_errors() {
 }
 
 compilations() {
-  [[ $# -gt 2 ]] || echo_fatal "compilations needs more than three arguments"
+  [[ $# -eq 4 ]] || echo_fatal "compilations <dir> <logfile> <targets> <build-tool-opt>"
   local dir=$1
-  shift 1
-  local logfile=$1
-  shift 1
-  local targets=$@
+  local logfile=$2
+  local targets=$3
+  local build_tool_opt=$4
   local verbose=$([ "$VERBOSE_COMPILE" == "1" ] && echo "-v" || echo "")
   echo cd $OPENAIR_DIR/cmake_targets/$dir/build
   cd $OPENAIR_DIR/cmake_targets/$dir/build
-  echo_info "Running \"$CMAKE --build . $verbose --target $targets -- -j$(nproc)\"" $green
+  cmd="$CMAKE --build . ${verbose} --target ${targets} -- ${build_tool_opt}"
+  echo_info "Running \"${cmd}\"" $green
   echo "Log file for compilation is being written to: $dlog/$logfile"
   set +e
   {
-    $CMAKE --build . $verbose --target $targets -- -j$(nproc)
+    eval ${cmd}
     ret=$?
   } > $dlog/$logfile 2>&1
   # Print the errors and warnings for CI purposes