diff --git a/docs/libcurl/Makefile.am b/docs/libcurl/Makefile.am
index 17b2bc80d0..1a70b96733 100644
--- a/docs/libcurl/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/libcurl/Makefile.am
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign no-dependencies
 
 SUBDIRS = opts
 
+if BUILD_DOCS
 include Makefile.inc
 
 CURLPAGES = $(man_MANS:.3=.md)
+endif
 
 m4macrodir = $(datadir)/aclocal
 dist_m4macro_DATA = libcurl.m4
@@ -39,6 +41,8 @@ nodist_MANS = $(man_MANS)
 EXTRA_DIST = $(CURLPAGES) ABI.md symbols-in-versions symbols.pl  \
   mksymbolsmanpage.pl CMakeLists.txt
 
+if BUILD_DOCS
+
 CD2NROFF = $(top_srcdir)/scripts/cd2nroff $< >$@
 CD2 = $(CD2_$(V))
 CD2_0 = @echo "  RENDER " $@;
@@ -52,3 +56,5 @@ libcurl-symbols.md: $(srcdir)/symbols-in-versions $(srcdir)/mksymbolsmanpage.pl
 
 .md.3:
 	$(CD2)$(CD2NROFF)
+
+endif
diff --git a/docs/libcurl/opts/Makefile.am b/docs/libcurl/opts/Makefile.am
index 42f9db4c5f..111202ddd3 100644
--- a/docs/libcurl/opts/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/libcurl/opts/Makefile.am
@@ -24,14 +24,18 @@
 
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign no-dependencies
 
+if BUILD_DOCS
 include Makefile.inc
 
 CURLPAGES = $(man_MANS:.3=.md)
+endif
 CLEANFILES = $(man_MANS)
 nodist_MANS = $(man_MANS)
 
 EXTRA_DIST = $(CURLPAGES) CMakeLists.txt
 
+if BUILD_DOCS
+
 CD2NROFF = $(top_srcdir)/scripts/cd2nroff $< >$@
 CD2 = $(CD2_$(V))
 CD2_0 = @echo "  RENDER " $@;
@@ -42,3 +46,4 @@ SUFFIXES = .3 .md
 
 .md.3:
 	$(CD2)$(CD2NROFF)
+endif