diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
index eea7df8630..05ab22f61a 100644
--- a/acinclude.m4
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -259,6 +259,10 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([docbook-stylesheets],
 
 enable_login="no"
 
+dnl Check whether kindlegen exists.  If not, we'll suppress that part of the
+dnl documentation build.
+AC_CHECK_PROGS([KINDLEGEN], [kindlegen])
+
 dnl weird ass systems
 dnl AC_AIX
 AC_ISC_POSIX
diff --git a/doc/xml/AdminGuide/Makefile.in b/doc/xml/AdminGuide/Makefile.in
index 8bcc3322ab..b60c80a6b8 100644
--- a/doc/xml/AdminGuide/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/xml/AdminGuide/Makefile.in
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ $(BOOK).epub: $(SRCS)
 	fi
 
 $(BOOK).mobi: $(BOOK).epub
-	kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi
+	if test -n "$(KINDLEGEN)" && test -x "$(DBTOEPUB)" ; then \
+		kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi; \
+	fi
 
 check:
 	xmllint --noout --valid $(BOOK).xml
diff --git a/doc/xml/QuickStartUnix/Makefile.in b/doc/xml/QuickStartUnix/Makefile.in
index 594bc6cc2d..b40a9b973d 100644
--- a/doc/xml/QuickStartUnix/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/xml/QuickStartUnix/Makefile.in
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ $(BOOK).epub: $(SRCS)
 	fi
 
 $(BOOK).mobi: $(BOOK).epub
-	kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi
+	if test -n "$(KINDLEGEN)" && test -x "$(DBTOEPUB)" ; then \
+		kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi; \
+	fi
 
 check:
 	xmllint --noout --valid $(BOOK).xml
diff --git a/doc/xml/UserGuide/Makefile.in b/doc/xml/UserGuide/Makefile.in
index 42e40532a4..aeb28abf5a 100644
--- a/doc/xml/UserGuide/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/xml/UserGuide/Makefile.in
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ $(BOOK).epub: $(SRCS)
 	fi
 
 $(BOOK).mobi: $(BOOK).epub
-	kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi
+	if test -n "$(KINDLEGEN)" && test -x "$(DBTOEPUB)" ; then \
+		kindlegen $(BOOK).epub -o $(BOOK).mobi; \
+	fi
 
 check:
 	xmllint --noout --valid $(BOOK).xml