diff --git a/octave/Makefile b/octave/Makefile
index 4b6eb27..765d264 100644
--- a/octave/Makefile
+++ b/octave/Makefile
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ define Build/Configure
 endef
 
 define Build/Compile
-	$(call Build/Compile/Default,-j4)
+	$(call Build/Compile/Default)
 endef
 
 # octave emits warnings "timestamp in the future" that cannot be suppressed
diff --git a/octave/files/octaverc b/octave/files/octaverc
index d90bc96..08ee1fd 100644
--- a/octave/files/octaverc
+++ b/octave/files/octaverc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-## System-wide startup file for Octave.
+## System-wide startup file for -*-octave-*-.
 ##
 ## This file should contain any commands that should be executed each
 ## time Octave starts for every user at this site.
@@ -8,4 +8,8 @@
 # Octave startup sequence.  
 warning ("off", "Octave:future-time-stamp");
 
-
+# automatically enable plplot, if it is installed.  GNUplot is not going to
+# work on a terminal together with GNUplot anytime soon
+if exist("toggle_plplot_use")
+  toggle_plplot_use
+endif