diff --git a/docs/meson.build b/docs/meson.build
index 812a9ae7a..b5ff25c0a 100644
--- a/docs/meson.build
+++ b/docs/meson.build
@@ -2,19 +2,6 @@ project('Meson documentation', version: '1.0')
 
 cur_bdir = meson.current_build_dir()
 
-# Only the script knows which files are being generated
-docs_gen = custom_target(
-    'gen_docs',
-    input: files('markdown/index.md'),
-    output: 'gen_docs.stamp',
-    command: [
-        files('../tools/regenerate_docs.py'),
-        '--output-dir', cur_bdir,
-        '--dummy-output-file', '@OUTPUT@',
-    ],
-    build_by_default: true,
-    install: false)
-
 sitemap = files('sitemap.txt')
 
 yaml_loader = get_option('unsafe_yaml') ? 'fastyaml' : 'yaml'
@@ -34,24 +21,6 @@ refman_binary = custom_target(
     ]
 )
 
-refman_md = custom_target(
-    'gen_refman_md',
-    input: refman_binary,
-    output: ['configured_sitemap.txt', 'refman_links.json'],
-    command: [
-        genrefman,
-        '-l', 'pickle',
-        '-g', 'md',
-        '-s', sitemap,
-        '-i', '@INPUT@',
-        '-o', '@OUTPUT0@',
-        '--link-defs', '@OUTPUT1@',
-        '--force-color',
-        '--no-modules',
-    ],
-)
-sitemap = refman_md[0]
-
 refman_json = custom_target(
     'gen_refman_json',
     build_by_default: true,
@@ -66,6 +35,7 @@ refman_json = custom_target(
         '--force-color',
     ],
 )
+test('validate_docs', find_program('./jsonvalidator.py'), args: [refman_json])
 
 refman_man = custom_target(
     'gen_refman_man',
@@ -83,6 +53,43 @@ refman_man = custom_target(
     ],
 )
 
+# Everything past here is HTML resources.
+if not get_option('html')
+    subdir_done()
+endif
+
+# Only the script knows which files are being generated
+docs_gen = custom_target(
+    'gen_docs',
+    input: files('markdown/index.md'),
+    output: 'gen_docs.stamp',
+    command: [
+        files('../tools/regenerate_docs.py'),
+        '--output-dir', cur_bdir,
+        '--dummy-output-file', '@OUTPUT@',
+    ],
+    build_by_default: true,
+    install: false,
+)
+
+refman_md = custom_target(
+    'gen_refman_md',
+    input: refman_binary,
+    output: ['configured_sitemap.txt', 'refman_links.json'],
+    command: [
+        genrefman,
+        '-l', 'pickle',
+        '-g', 'md',
+        '-s', sitemap,
+        '-i', '@INPUT@',
+        '-o', '@OUTPUT0@',
+        '--link-defs', '@OUTPUT1@',
+        '--force-color',
+        '--no-modules',
+    ],
+)
+sitemap = refman_md[0]
+
 genrelnotes = custom_target(
     output: ['sitemap-genrelnotes.txt'],
     build_always_stale: true,
@@ -95,8 +102,6 @@ genrelnotes = custom_target(
 )
 sitemap = genrelnotes[0]
 
-test('validate_docs', find_program('./jsonvalidator.py'), args: [refman_json])
-
 hotdoc_prog = find_program('hotdoc', version: '>=0.13.7')
 
 hotdoc = import('hotdoc')
diff --git a/docs/meson_options.txt b/docs/meson_options.txt
index f548da98d..bc0ec5508 100644
--- a/docs/meson_options.txt
+++ b/docs/meson_options.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 option('unsafe_yaml', type: 'boolean', value: false,
     description: 'disable safety checks and use a faster, but less correct YAML loader')
+option('html', type: 'boolean', value: true,
+    description: 'build the hotdoc-based HTML documentation')