diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 5bb7d3738..dadb01b9c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ foreach optname : path_opts
   endif
 endforeach
 
+enable_docs = get_option('enable-docs')
 
 enable_tests = get_option('enable-tests')
 
@@ -357,7 +358,10 @@ endif
 subdir('src')
 subdir('scripts')
 subdir('misc')
-subdir('doc/manual')
+
+if enable_docs
+  subdir('doc/manual')
+endif
 
 if enable_tests
   subdir('tests/unit')
diff --git a/meson.options b/meson.options
index 022727858..393d61c49 100644
--- a/meson.options
+++ b/meson.options
@@ -46,3 +46,7 @@ option('state-dir', type : 'string', value : '/nix/var',
 option('log-dir', type : 'string', value : '/nix/var/log',
   description : 'path to store logs in for Nix',
 )
+
+option('enable-docs', type : 'boolean', value : true,
+  description : 'whether to build documentation',
+)