diff --git a/guix/self.scm b/guix/self.scm
index 81a36e007f..d2300052d8 100644
--- a/guix/self.scm
+++ b/guix/self.scm
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2017-2023 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Martin Becze <mjbecze@riseup.net>
+;;; Copyright © 2023 Janneke Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -1210,7 +1211,8 @@ (define build
                             '((guix build compile)
                               (guix build utils)))
       #~(begin
-          (use-modules (srfi srfi-26)
+          (use-modules (srfi srfi-1)
+                       (srfi srfi-26)
                        (ice-9 match)
                        (ice-9 format)
                        (ice-9 threads)
@@ -1244,12 +1246,23 @@ (define (report-compilation file total completed)
             (force-output))
 
           (define (process-directory directory files output)
-            ;; Hide compilation warnings.
-            (parameterize ((current-warning-port (%make-void-port "w")))
-              (compile-files directory #$output files
-                             #:workers (parallel-job-count)
-                             #:report-load report-load
-                             #:report-compilation report-compilation)))
+            (let* ((size 25)                      ;compile max 25 files a time
+                   (chunks (unfold
+                            (lambda (seed) (< (length seed) size)) ;p
+                            (cute take <> size)                    ;f
+                            (cute drop <> size)                    ;g
+                            files                                  ;seed
+                            list)))                                ;tail
+              (for-each
+               (lambda (chunk)
+                 ;; Hide compilation warnings.
+                 (parameterize ((current-warning-port (%make-void-port "w")))
+                   (compile-files directory output chunk
+                                  #:workers (parallel-job-count)
+                                  #:report-load report-load
+                                  #:report-compilation report-compilation)
+                   (gc)))
+               chunks)))
 
           (setvbuf (current-output-port) 'line)
           (setvbuf (current-error-port) 'line)