diff --git a/gnu/packages/slang.scm b/gnu/packages/slang.scm
index f07a5685ed..577d7aff45 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/slang.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/slang.scm
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@
                     (("-ltermcap") ""))))))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (arguments
-     '(#:parallel-tests? #f))
+     '(#:parallel-tests? #f
+       #:parallel-build? #f)) ; there's at least one race
     (inputs
      `(("readline" ,readline)
        ("zlib" ,zlib)
        ("libpng" ,libpng)
        ("pcre" ,pcre)
        ("ncurses" ,ncurses)))
-    (arguments `(#:parallel-build? #f)) ; there's at least one race
     (home-page "http://www.jedsoft.org/slang/")
     (synopsis "Library for interactive applications and extensibility")
     (description