diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 0b37ab400..7142e5402 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ stages:
     - when: never
 
 
-# # # 
+# # #
 ###
 # Windows container-related jobs (prep and usage)
 
@@ -295,9 +295,8 @@ debian:cmake:
     - popd
 
   script:
-
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=on
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
   artifacts:
     paths:
@@ -310,7 +309,7 @@ debian:cmake-no-opencv:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DXRT_HAVE_OPENCV=OFF
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DXRT_HAVE_OPENCV=OFF
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
 
 debian:cmake-no-sdl2:
@@ -320,7 +319,7 @@ debian:cmake-no-sdl2:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DXRT_HAVE_SDL2=OFF
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DXRT_HAVE_SDL2=OFF
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
 
 debian:cmake-no-service:
@@ -330,7 +329,7 @@ debian:cmake-no-service:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DXRT_FEATURE_SERVICE=OFF
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DXRT_FEATURE_SERVICE=OFF
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
 
 debian:cmake:32bit:
@@ -350,7 +349,7 @@ ndk:armeabi-v7a:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DANDROID_ABI=armeabi-v7a -DANDROID_PLATFORM=26 -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/opt/android-ndk/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake -DEigen3_DIR=/usr/lib/cmake/eigen3/ -DEIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/eigen3
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DANDROID_ABI=armeabi-v7a -DANDROID_PLATFORM=26 -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/opt/android-ndk/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake -DEigen3_DIR=/usr/lib/cmake/eigen3/ -DEIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/eigen3
 
 ndk:arm64-v8a:
   stage: build
@@ -359,7 +358,7 @@ ndk:arm64-v8a:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DANDROID_ABI=arm64-v8a -DANDROID_PLATFORM=26 -DBUILD_DOC=OFF -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/opt/android-ndk/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake -DEigen3_DIR=/usr/lib/cmake/eigen3/ -DEIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/eigen3
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DANDROID_ABI=arm64-v8a -DANDROID_PLATFORM=26 -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/opt/android-ndk/build/cmake/android.toolchain.cmake -DEigen3_DIR=/usr/lib/cmake/eigen3/ -DEIGEN3_INCLUDE_DIR=/usr/include/eigen3
 
 android:spotlessCheck:
   stage: build
@@ -480,7 +479,7 @@ ubuntu:focal:cmake:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=OFF
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
 
 ubuntu:jammy:cmake:
@@ -490,7 +489,7 @@ ubuntu:jammy:cmake:
   script:
 
     - .gitlab-ci/prebuild.sh
-    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh -DBUILD_DOC=OFF
+    - .gitlab-ci/ci-cmake-build.sh
     - cd build && ctest --output-on-failure
 
 arch:cmake:
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/config.yml b/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
index a897c7359..289a04392 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/config.yml
@@ -94,17 +94,14 @@ distributions:
 
           - name: "debian:cmake-no-opencv"
             cmake_defines:
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
               XRT_HAVE_OPENCV: "OFF"
 
           - name: "debian:cmake-no-sdl2"
             cmake_defines:
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
               XRT_HAVE_SDL2: "OFF"
 
           - name: "debian:cmake-no-service"
             cmake_defines:
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
               XRT_FEATURE_SERVICE: "OFF"
 
           - name: "debian:cmake:32bit"
@@ -144,13 +141,11 @@ distributions:
           - name: "ndk:armeabi-v7a"
             cmake_defines:
               <<: *android_cmake_defines
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
               ANDROID_ABI: armeabi-v7a
 
           - name: "ndk:arm64-v8a"
             cmake_defines:
               <<: *android_cmake_defines
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
               ANDROID_ABI: arm64-v8a
 
           - name: android:spotlessCheck
@@ -184,7 +179,6 @@ distributions:
         build_jobs:
           - name: "ubuntu:focal:cmake"
             cmake_defines:
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
 
       - codename: jammy
         distro_version: "22.04"
@@ -196,7 +190,6 @@ distributions:
         build_jobs:
           - name: "ubuntu:jammy:cmake"
             cmake_defines:
-              BUILD_DOC: "OFF"
 
   - name: arch
     images:
diff --git a/doc/CMakeLists.txt b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
index d718d6562..fd89ae084 100644
--- a/doc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/doc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@
 # check if Doxygen is installed
 find_package(Doxygen)
 
-option_with_deps(BUILD_DOC "Build documentation" DEPENDS DOXYGEN_FOUND)
+option_with_deps(
+	BUILD_DOC "Build documentation"
+	DEFAULT OFF
+	DEPENDS DOXYGEN_FOUND
+	)
 option_with_deps(
 	BUILD_DOC_WARN_UNDOCUMENTED "Warn on undocumented entities when building documentation"
 	DEFAULT OFF