--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2010-01-13  John W. Eaton  <jwe@octave.org>
+
+	* configure.ac: Handle --enable-docs.  Print warning in summary
+	if building documentation is disabled.
+	* Makefile.am (SUBDIRS): Use @DOCDIR@ instead of doc.
+	(dist-hook): New target, conditional on AMCOND_BUILD_DOCS.
+
 2010-01-09  John W. Eaton  <jwe@octave.org>
 
 	* configure.ac: Don't check for nlink_t.

--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -69,7 +69,13 @@
 include m4/module.mk
 
 # Subdirectories in which to run `make all'.
-SUBDIRS = libgnu libcruft liboctave src scripts doc examples test
+SUBDIRS = libgnu libcruft liboctave src scripts @DOCDIR@ examples test
+
+if AMCOND_BUILD_DOCS
+else
+dist-hook:
+	echo "Documentation disabled.  Cannot package distribution!" ; exit 1;
+endif
 
 BUILT_SHELL_FILES = \
   mkoctfile$(SCRIPTS_EXE_SUFFIX) \

--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -152,6 +152,19 @@
   AC_DEFINE(BOUNDS_CHECKING, 1, [Define to use internal bounds checking.])
 fi
 
+### Make it possible to disable running Make in the doc directory.
+### Useful for building on systems without TeX, for example.
+DOCDIR=doc
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(docs,
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-docs], [build documentation (default is yes)])],
+  [if test "$enableval" = no; then
+     DOCDIR=
+     warn_docs="building documentation disabled; make dist will fail"
+     AC_MSG_WARN([$warn_docs])
+   fi], [])
+AC_SUBST(DOCDIR)
+AM_CONDITIONAL([AMCOND_BUILD_DOCS], [test -n "$DOCDIR"])
+
 ### If possible, use a 64-bit integer type for array dimensions and indexing.
 
 USE_64_BIT_IDX_T=false
@@ -2281,6 +2294,11 @@
   warn_msg_printed=true
 fi
 
+if test -n "$warn_docs"; then
+  AC_MSG_WARN([$warn_docs])
+  warn_msg_printed=true
+fi
+
 if test -n "$warn_64_bit"; then
   AC_MSG_WARN([$warn_64_bit])
   warn_msg_printed=true