diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index da3de2f3..cc709a9e 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ cp $ACDIR/lcmessage.m4 m4
 cp $ACDIR/progtest.m4 m4
 cp $ACDIR/introspection.m4 m4
 
-gtkdocize --copy --docdir doc/reference || exit 1
+gtkdocize --copy --docdir doc/reference --flavour no-tmpl || exit 1
 
 # some systems need libtoolize, some glibtoolize ... how annoying
 echo testing for glibtoolize ...
diff --git a/doc/reference/Makefile.am b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
index d86ce659..da5b53a1 100644
--- a/doc/reference/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ GTKDOC_CFLAGS = @VIPS_CFLAGS@ @VIPS_INCLUDES@
 GTKDOC_LIBS = @VIPS_CFLAGS@ ${top_builddir}/libvips/libvips.la @VIPS_LIBS@
 
 # This includes the standard gtk-doc make rules, copied by gtkdocize.
-include $(top_srcdir)/gtk-doc.make
+include gtk-doc.make
 
 # Other files to distribute
 # e.g. EXTRA_DIST += version.xml.in
diff --git a/gtk-doc.make b/gtk-doc.make
deleted file mode 120000
index 3ee6bad7..00000000
--- a/gtk-doc.make
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-/usr/share/gtk-doc/data/gtk-doc.notmpl.make
\ No newline at end of file