diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4ae8256b..30ea1d5d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -239,9 +239,17 @@ AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_LN_S
 AM_WITH_DMALLOC
 
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([DOXYGEN], [doxygen])
-if test -z "$DOXYGEN"; then
+AC_ARG_WITH([doxygen], 
+  AS_HELP_STRING([--without-doxygen], [build without doxygen (default: test)]))
+
+if test x"$with_doxygen" != x"no"; then
+  AC_CHECK_PROGS([DOXYGEN], [doxygen])
+  if test "$DOXYGEN"; then
+    with_doxygen=yes
+  else
     AC_MSG_WARN([doxygen not found; C++ docs will not be generated])
+    with_doxygen=no
+  fi
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_DOXYGEN], [test -n "$DOXYGEN"])
 
@@ -1312,7 +1320,7 @@ VIPS_LIBS="$ZLIB_LIBS $HEIF_LIBS $MAGICK_LIBS $SPNG_LIBS $PNG_LIBS $IMAGEQUANT_L
 
 # autoconf hates multi-line AC_SUBST so we have to have another copy of this
 # thing
-VIPS_CONFIG="native win32: $vips_os_win32, native OS X: $vips_os_darwin, open files in binary mode: $vips_binary_open, enable debug: $enable_debug, enable deprecated library components: $enable_deprecated, enable docs with gtkdoc: $enable_gtk_doc, gobject introspection: $found_introspection, enable radiance support: $with_radiance, enable analyze support: $with_analyze, enable PPM support: $with_ppm, use fftw3 for FFT: $with_fftw, Magick package: $with_magickpackage, Magick API version: $magick_version, load with libMagick: $enable_magickload, save with libMagick: $enable_magicksave, accelerate loops with orc: $with_orc, ICC profile support with lcms: $with_lcms, file import with niftiio: $with_nifti, file import with libheif: $with_heif, file import with OpenEXR: $with_OpenEXR, file import with OpenSlide: $with_openslide, file import with matio: $with_matio, PDF import with PDFium: $with_pdfium, PDF import with poppler-glib: $with_poppler, SVG import with librsvg-2.0: $with_rsvg, zlib: $with_zlib, file import with cfitsio: $with_cfitsio, file import/export with libwebp: $with_libwebp, text rendering with pangoft2: $with_pangoft2, file import/export with libspng: $with_libspng, file import/export with libpng: $with_png, support 8bpp PNG quantisation: $with_imagequant, file import/export with libtiff: $with_tiff, file import/export with giflib: $with_giflib, file import/export with libjpeg: $with_jpeg, image pyramid export: $with_gsf, use libexif to load/save JPEG metadata: $with_libexif"
+VIPS_CONFIG="native win32: $vips_os_win32, native OS X: $vips_os_darwin, open files in binary mode: $vips_binary_open, enable debug: $enable_debug, enable deprecated library components: $enable_deprecated, enable docs with gtkdoc: $enable_gtk_doc, gobject introspection: $found_introspection, enable radiance support: $with_radiance, enable analyze support: $with_analyze, enable PPM support: $with_ppm, generate C++ docs: $with_doxygen, use fftw3 for FFT: $with_fftw, Magick package: $with_magickpackage, Magick API version: $magick_version, load with libMagick: $enable_magickload, save with libMagick: $enable_magicksave, accelerate loops with orc: $with_orc, ICC profile support with lcms: $with_lcms, file import with niftiio: $with_nifti, file import with libheif: $with_heif, file import with OpenEXR: $with_OpenEXR, file import with OpenSlide: $with_openslide, file import with matio: $with_matio, PDF import with PDFium: $with_pdfium, PDF import with poppler-glib: $with_poppler, SVG import with librsvg-2.0: $with_rsvg, zlib: $with_zlib, file import with cfitsio: $with_cfitsio, file import/export with libwebp: $with_libwebp, text rendering with pangoft2: $with_pangoft2, file import/export with libspng: $with_libspng, file import/export with libpng: $with_png, support 8bpp PNG quantisation: $with_imagequant, file import/export with libtiff: $with_tiff, file import/export with giflib: $with_giflib, file import/export with libjpeg: $with_jpeg, image pyramid export: $with_gsf, use libexif to load/save JPEG metadata: $with_libexif"
 
 AC_SUBST(VIPS_LIBDIR)
 
@@ -1386,7 +1394,7 @@ gobject introspection: 			$found_introspection
 enable radiance support: 		$with_radiance
 enable analyze support: 		$with_analyze
 enable PPM support: 			$with_ppm
-generate C++ docs: 			$DOXYGEN
+generate C++ docs:                      $with_doxygen
 
 * optional dependencies
 use fftw3 for FFT: 			$with_fftw