diff --git a/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr b/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
index 4fbc2b1..4dee786 100644
--- a/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
+++ b/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
@@ -6,10 +6,36 @@
 # subshell(!).  Instead, call ex_pkg_dispatch() and subsequently evaluate ${?}.
 #
 
+exp_pkg_dispatch() {
+	local _pkg_name="${1}" _tgt_name="${2}" _restart_at="${3}"				\
+		_dispatch_fn="${4}" _stderrout_path="${5}" _pipe_path="${6}"			\
+		_njobs_vname="${7}" _pkg_name_uc;
+	_pkg_name_uc="$(ex_rtl_toupper "${_pkg_name}")";
+	if [ -n "$(ex_rtl_get_var_unsafe PKG_${_pkg_name_uc}_DISABLED)" ]; then
+		"${_dispatch_fn}" disabled_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
+	elif ex_pkg_state_test "${_pkg_name}" finish\
+	&& [ -z "${_restart_at}" ]; then
+		"${_dispatch_fn}" skipped_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
+	else
+		_stderrout_path="${BUILD_WORKDIR}/${_pkg_name}_stderrout.log";
+		"${_dispatch_fn}" start_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
+		(set -o errexit -o noglob;
+		ex_pkg_env "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}" "${_restart_at}";
+		trap "if [ \${?} -eq 0 ]; then							\
+			echo \"done ${_pkg_name} ${_tgt_name}\" >&3;				\
+		      else									\
+			echo \"fail ${_pkg_name} ${_tgt_name}\" >&3;				\
+		      fi;" EXIT HUP INT TERM USR1 USR2;
+		ex_pkg_exec "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}" "${_restart_at}"			\
+			"${_dispatch_fn}";) 1>"${_stderrout_path}" 2>&1 3>"${_pipe_path}" &
+		: $((${_njobs_vname}+=1));
+	fi;
+};
+
 ex_pkg_dispatch() {
-	local _tgt_name="${1}" _restart="${2}" _restart_at="${3}"		\
-		_dispatch_fn="${4}" _tgt_name_uc				\
-		_pkg_names _njob _njobs _njobs_max _pkg_name _pkg_name_uc	\
+	local _tgt_name="${1}" _restart="${2}" _restart_at="${3}"				\
+		_dispatch_fn="${4}" _tgt_name_uc						\
+		_pkg_names _njob _njobs _njobs_max						\
 		_pipe_path _stderrout_path _pipe_msg _script_rc;
 	ex_rtl_fileop mkdir "${BUILD_WORKDIR}";
 	_pipe_path="${BUILD_WORKDIR}/build.fifo";
@@ -20,60 +46,50 @@ ex_pkg_dispatch() {
 	&& [ "${_restart}" != ALL ]; then
 		_pkg_names="$(ex_rtl_lfilter "${_pkg_names}" "${_restart}")";
 	fi;
+	if [ "$(ex_rtl_get_var_unsafe ${_tgt_name_uc}_PARALLELISE)" = 1 ]; then
+		_njobs_max="${DEFAULT_BUILD_CPUS}";
+	else
+		_njobs_max=1;
+	fi;
 	set -- ${_pkg_names};
 	while [ ${#} -gt 0 ]; do
 		_script_rc=0; _njobs=0;
-		if [ "$(ex_rtl_get_var_unsafe ${_tgt_name_uc}_PARALLELISE)" = 1 ]; then
-			_njobs_max="${DEFAULT_BUILD_CPUS}";
-		else
-			_njobs_max=1;
-		fi;
 		ex_rtl_fileop mkfifo "${_pipe_path}";
-		for _njob in $(seq 1 ${_njobs_max}); do
-			if [ ${#} -eq 0 ]; then
-				break;
-			else
-				_pkg_name="${1}"; shift;
-				_pkg_name_uc="$(ex_rtl_toupper "${_pkg_name}")";
-			fi;
-			if [ -n "$(ex_rtl_get_var_unsafe PKG_${_pkg_name_uc}_DISABLED)" ]; then
-				"${_dispatch_fn}" disabled_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
-				continue;
-			elif ex_pkg_state_test "${_pkg_name}" finish\
-			&& [ -z "${_restart_at}" ]; then
-				"${_dispatch_fn}" skipped_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
-				continue;
-			else
-				_stderrout_path="${BUILD_WORKDIR}/${_pkg_name}_stderrout.log";
-				"${_dispatch_fn}" start_pkg "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}";
-			fi;
-			(set -o errexit -o noglob;
-			ex_pkg_env "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}" "${_restart_at}";
-			trap "if [ \${?} -eq 0 ]; then					\
-				echo \"done ${_pkg_name} ${_tgt_name}\" >&3;		\
-			      else							\
-				echo \"fail ${_pkg_name} ${_tgt_name}\" >&3;		\
-			      fi;" EXIT HUP INT TERM USR1 USR2;
-			ex_pkg_exec "${_pkg_name}" "${_tgt_name}" "${_restart_at}"	\
-				"${_dispatch_fn}";) 1>"${_stderrout_path}" 2>&1 3>"${_pipe_path}" &
-			: $((_njobs+=1));
-		done;
+		exp_pkg_dispatch "${1}" "${_tgt_name}"						\
+			"${_restart_at}" "${_dispatch_fn}"					\
+			"${_stderrout_path}" "${_pipe_path}"					\
+			_njobs; shift;
 		if [ "${_njobs:-0}" -gt 0 ]; then
 			while read _pipe_msg; do
 			case "${_pipe_msg%% *}" in
 			done)	"${_dispatch_fn}" finish_pkg ${_pipe_msg#done };
-				[ $((_njobs-=1)) -eq 0 ] && break; ;;
+				: $((_njobs-=1));
+				for _njob in $(seq 1 $((${_njobs_max}-${_njobs}))); do
+					if [ ${#} -eq 0 ]; then
+						break;
+					else
+						exp_pkg_dispatch "${1}" "${_tgt_name}"		\
+							"${_restart_at}" "${_dispatch_fn}"	\
+							"${_stderrout_path}" "${_pipe_path}"	\
+							_njobs; shift;
+					fi;
+				done;
+				if [ "${_njobs:-0}" -eq 0 ]; then
+					break;
+				fi; ;;
 			fail)	_script_rc=1;
 				"${_dispatch_fn}" fail_pkg ${_pipe_msg#fail };
 				[ $((_njobs-=1)) -eq 0 ] && break; ;;
 			step)	"${_dispatch_fn}" step_pkg ${_pipe_msg#step };
 			esac; done <"${_pipe_path}";
 			if [ "${_script_rc:-1}" -eq 1 ]; then
-				ex_rtl_fileop rm "${_pipe_path}";
-				return 1;
+				break;
 			fi;
 		fi;
 		ex_rtl_fileop rm "${_pipe_path}";
+		if [ "${_script_rc:-1}" -eq 1 ]; then
+			return "${_script_rc}";
+		fi;
 	done;
 	"${_dispatch_fn}" finish_target "" "${_tgt_name}";
 };