diff --git a/.github/workflows/installer.yml b/.github/workflows/installer.yml
index c6d99b6854c6..71f585b3a20c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/installer.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/installer.yml
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@ jobs:
         run: docker pull thesofproject/sof && docker tag thesofproject/sof sof
 
       # -j3 tests the ability to build multiple platforms
-      # concurrently. It makes the build log unreadable but that's OK
-      # because we have other, slower actions with readable logs.
+      # concurrently. It makes the build log unreadable, so retry with
+      # a single thread in case of failure
       - name: build all and stage
-        run: ./scripts/docker-run.sh make -j3 -C installer/ tarball
+        run: ./scripts/docker-run.sh make -j3 -C installer/ tarball ||
+            VERBOSE=1 NO_PROCESSORS=1 USE_XARGS=no
+             ./scripts/docker-run.sh make -j1 -C installer/ tarball
 
       - name: check staging tree
         run: make -C installer/ checktree
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
index 887758f697a0..c15664e08ccf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request.yml
@@ -72,7 +72,9 @@ jobs:
       # bug in ALSA 1.2.2
       # https://github.com/thesofproject/sof/issues/2543
       - name: build topologies
-        run: ./scripts/docker-run.sh ./scripts/build-tools.sh -t
+        run: ./scripts/docker-run.sh ./scripts/build-tools.sh -t ||
+             VERBOSE=1 USE_XARGS=no
+             ./scripts/docker-run.sh ./scripts/build-tools.sh -t
 
       - name: build testbench
         run: ./scripts/rebuild-testbench.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tools.yml b/.github/workflows/tools.yml
index 232c9b795d87..5be87125a8ba 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tools.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tools.yml
@@ -23,4 +23,7 @@ jobs:
       # For some reason gcc has more warnings in Release mode
       - name: build-tools
         run: CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ./scripts/docker-run.sh
+          ./scripts/build-tools.sh ||
+             VERBOSE=1 NO_PROCESSORS=1 USE_XARGS=no
+             CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ./scripts/docker-run.sh
           ./scripts/build-tools.sh
diff --git a/scripts/docker-run.sh b/scripts/docker-run.sh
index 42489b77a815..2ce4c2a8aba6 100755
--- a/scripts/docker-run.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker-run.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ docker run -i -v "${SOF_TOP}":/home/sof/work/sof.git \
 	-v "${SOF_TOP}":/home/sof/work/sof-bind-mount-DO-NOT-DELETE \
 	--env CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE \
 	--env PRIVATE_KEY_OPTION \
+	--env USE_XARGS \
+	--env NO_PROCESSORS \
+	--env VERBOSE \
 	--env http_proxy="$http_proxy" \
 	--env https_proxy="$https_proxy" \
 	--user "$(id -u)" \
diff --git a/tools/test/topology/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/test/topology/CMakeLists.txt
index 8568a6bd1724..4e96368341d5 100644
--- a/tools/test/topology/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/test/topology/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ file(GLOB TPLG_DEPS
 
 find_program(XARGS NAMES xargs PATHS ENV PATH NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 
-if(${XARGS} STREQUAL XARGS-NOTFOUND)
+if(${XARGS} STREQUAL XARGS-NOTFOUND OR
+    (DEFINED ENV{USE_XARGS} AND NOT $ENV{USE_XARGS} STREQUAL "yes")
+    )
 	set(USE_XARGS "no")
 else()
 	set(USE_XARGS "yes")
diff --git a/tools/test/topology/test-capture.m4 b/tools/test/topology/test-capture.m4
index ff10dde0fe34..6e7dd6487ed7 100644
--- a/tools/test/topology/test-capture.m4
+++ b/tools/test/topology/test-capture.m4
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ include(`test_pipeline_filters.m4')
 PIPELINE_PCM_ADD(sof/pipe-TEST_PIPE_NAME-capture.m4,
 	2, 0, 2, s32le,
 	1000, 0, 0,
-	8000, 192000, 48000)
+	8000, 192000 , 48000)
 
 #
 # DAI configuration
diff --git a/tools/topology/topology1/development/sof-cml-src-rt5682.m4 b/tools/topology/topology1/development/sof-cml-src-rt5682.m4
index 6358e7582bb3..7f0291237d0d 100644
--- a/tools/topology/topology1/development/sof-cml-src-rt5682.m4
+++ b/tools/topology/topology1/development/sof-cml-src-rt5682.m4
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ PIPELINE_PCM_ADD(sof/pipe-volume-playback.m4,
 PIPELINE_PCM_ADD(sof/pipe-volume-playback.m4,
 	5, 3, 2, s32le,
 	1000, 0, 0,
-	48000, 48000, 48000)
+	48000 ,48000 ,48000)
 
 # Low Latency playback pipeline 6 on PCM 4 using max 2 channels of s32le.
 # Set 1000us deadline with priority 0 on core 0
diff --git a/tools/topology/topology1/sof-tgl-sdw-max98373-rt5682.m4 b/tools/topology/topology1/sof-tgl-sdw-max98373-rt5682.m4
index 0dc461d934c9..6139ab95192f 100644
--- a/tools/topology/topology1/sof-tgl-sdw-max98373-rt5682.m4
+++ b/tools/topology/topology1/sof-tgl-sdw-max98373-rt5682.m4
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ include(`platform/intel/intel-generic-dmic-kwd.m4')
 PIPELINE_PCM_ADD(sof/pipe-volume-playback.m4,
 	6, 5, 2, s32le,
 	1000, 0, 0,
-	48000, 48000, 48000)
+	48000, 48000 , 48000)
 
 # Low Latency playback pipeline 7 on PCM 6 using max 2 channels of s32le.
 # Schedule 48 frames per 1000us deadline with priority 0 on core 0