diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index bdbde66..ba1939a 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -253,6 +253,12 @@
                 Don't install the scripts xzdiff, xzgrep, xzmore, xzless,
                 and their symlinks.
 
+    --disable-doc
+                Don't install the documentation files to $docdir
+                (often /usr/doc/xz or /usr/local/doc/xz). Man pages
+                will still be installed. The $docdir can be changed
+                with --docdir=DIR.
+
     --disable-assembler
                 liblzma includes some assembler optimizations. Currently
                 there is only assembler code for CRC32 and CRC64 for
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8aa6dfc..51cc56f 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 SUBDIRS += src po tests
 
+if COND_DOC
 dist_doc_DATA = \
 	AUTHORS \
 	COPYING \
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
 dist_examplesold_DATA = \
 	doc/examples_old/xz_pipe_comp.c \
 	doc/examples_old/xz_pipe_decomp.c
+endif
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	extra \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 541181f..0fd8c1e 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -402,6 +402,12 @@
 	[], [enable_scripts=yes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([COND_SCRIPTS], [test x$enable_scripts != xno])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([doc], [AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-doc],
+		[do not install documentation files to docdir
+		(man pages will still be installed)])],
+	[], [enable_doc=yes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([COND_DOC], [test x$enable_doc != xno])
+
 
 ###############################################################################
 # Checks for programs.