diff --git a/.changeset/orange-icons-sell.md b/.changeset/orange-icons-sell.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e1f663a9ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/orange-icons-sell.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/create-app': patch
+---
+
+Added `-j 2` to `dev` script to help cases where the backend does not start up during local development
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
index 21bdd41bdf..ea2a438429 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "node": "20 || 22"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "dev": "yarn workspaces foreach -A --include backend --include app --parallel -v -i run start",
+    "dev": "yarn workspaces foreach -A --include backend --include app --parallel -j 2 -v -i run start",
     "start": "yarn workspace app start",
     "start-backend": "yarn workspace backend start",
     "build:backend": "yarn workspace backend build",