diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index af3b5d66..dc97ee57 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ depcomp
 autom4te.cache/
 doc/reference/gtk-doc.make
 doc/reference/libvips-docs.sgml
+doc/reference/libvips-docs.xml
 install-sh
 libtool
 libvips/include/vips/version.h
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index b4348a52..da3de2f3 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ rm -f swig/vipsCC/VImage.py python/vipsCC/VError.py python/vipsCC/VMask.py pytho
 rm -f benchmark/temp*
 ( cd doc ; \
 	mkdir poop ; \
-	mv reference/libvips-docs.sgml.in poop ; \
+	mv reference/libvips-docs.xml.in poop ; \
 	mv reference/Makefile.am poop ; \
 	mv reference/images poop ; \
 	mv reference/*.xml poop ; \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b05a98f0..cf655bf1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ AC_OUTPUT([
 	man/Makefile
 	doc/Makefile
 	doc/reference/Makefile
-	doc/reference/libvips-docs.sgml
+	doc/reference/libvips-docs.xml
 	po/Makefile.in
 ])
 
diff --git a/doc/reference/Makefile.am b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
index faa2d227..d86ce659 100644
--- a/doc/reference/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
@@ -9,20 +9,19 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = 1.6
 # of using the various options.
 
 # The name of the module, e.g. 'glib'.
-# (vips: we put the version in the module name rather than defining
-# DOC_MODULE_VERSION to avoid some broken links)
 DOC_MODULE=libvips
 
 # Uncomment for versioned docs and specify the version of the module, e.g. '2'.
-#DOC_MODULE_VERSION=7
+#DOC_MODULE_VERSION=2
 
-# The top-level SGML file. You can change this if you want to.
-DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE=$(DOC_MODULE)-docs.sgml
 
-# The directory containing the source code. Relative to $(srcdir).
-# gtk-doc will search all .c & .h files beneath here for inline comments
-# documenting the functions and macros.
-# e.g. DOC_SOURCE_DIR=../../../gtk
+# The top-level XML file (SGML in the past). You can change this if you want to.
+DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE=$(DOC_MODULE)-docs.xml
+
+# Directories containing the source code.
+# gtk-doc will search all .c and .h files beneath these paths
+# for inline comments documenting functions and macros.
+# e.g. DOC_SOURCE_DIR=$(top_srcdir)/gtk $(top_srcdir)/gdk
 DOC_SOURCE_DIR=$(top_srcdir)/libvips
 
 # Extra options to pass to gtkdoc-scangobj. Not normally needed.
@@ -33,8 +32,8 @@ SCANGOBJ_OPTIONS=
 SCAN_OPTIONS=--rebuild-types
 
 # Extra options to supply to gtkdoc-mkdb.
-# e.g. MKDB_OPTIONS=--sgml-mode --output-format=xml
-MKDB_OPTIONS=--sgml-mode --output-format=xml
+# e.g. MKDB_OPTIONS=--xml-mode --output-format=xml
+MKDB_OPTIONS=--xml-mode --output-format=xml
 
 # Extra options to supply to gtkdoc-mktmpl
 # e.g. MKTMPL_OPTIONS=--only-section-tmpl
@@ -57,11 +56,8 @@ CFILE_GLOB=$(top_srcdir)/libvips/*/*.c
 # e.g. EXTRA_HFILES=$(top_srcdir}/contrib/extra.h
 EXTRA_HFILES=
 
-# Header files to ignore when scanning. Use base file name, no paths
-# e.g. IGNORE_HFILES=gtkdebug.h gtkintl.h
-
-# we only want to document public API, so have all .h files not in
-# libvips/include in here ... and a few from libvips/include as well
+# Header files or dirs to ignore when scanning. Use base file/dir names
+# e.g. IGNORE_HFILES=gtkdebug.h gtkintl.h private_code
 
 IGNORE_VIPS_INCLUDE = \
 	almostdeprecated.h \
@@ -158,8 +154,6 @@ expand_content_files = \
 # signals and properties.
 # e.g. GTKDOC_CFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir) -I$(top_builddir) $(GTK_DEBUG_FLAGS)
 # e.g. GTKDOC_LIBS=$(top_builddir)/gtk/$(gtktargetlib)
-# (use VIPS_CFLAGS/VIPS_LIBS/VIPS_LIBS so we pick up the glib-object.h that
-# the scanner uses)
 GTKDOC_CFLAGS = @VIPS_CFLAGS@ @VIPS_INCLUDES@ 
 GTKDOC_LIBS = @VIPS_CFLAGS@ ${top_builddir}/libvips/libvips.la @VIPS_LIBS@
 
@@ -176,8 +170,13 @@ EXTRA_DIST += \
 # for --rebuild-sections in $(SCAN_OPTIONS) e.g. $(DOC_MODULE)-sections.txt
 DISTCLEANFILES = libvips.types
 
-# Comment this out if you want your docs-status tested during 'make check'
+# Comment this out if you want 'make check' to test you doc status
+# and run some sanity checks
 if ENABLE_GTK_DOC
-TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = cd $(srcsrc)
-TESTS = $(GTKDOC_CHECK)
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
+  DOC_MODULE=$(DOC_MODULE) DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE=$(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) \
+  SRCDIR=$(abs_srcdir) BUILDDIR=$(abs_builddir)
+#TESTS = $(GTKDOC_CHECK)
 endif
+
+-include $(top_srcdir)/git.mk
diff --git a/doc/reference/libvips-docs.sgml.in b/doc/reference/libvips-docs.xml.in
similarity index 100%
rename from doc/reference/libvips-docs.sgml.in
rename to doc/reference/libvips-docs.xml.in
diff --git a/gtk-doc.make b/gtk-doc.make
index 0870846d..3ee6bad7 120000
--- a/gtk-doc.make
+++ b/gtk-doc.make
@@ -1 +1 @@
-/usr/share/gtk-doc/data/gtk-doc.make
\ No newline at end of file
+/usr/share/gtk-doc/data/gtk-doc.notmpl.make
\ No newline at end of file