diff --git a/docs/Makefile.am b/docs/Makefile.am
index 67471a7b..7270416d 100644
--- a/docs/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # Process this file with automake to create Makefile.in
 
+XSLTPROC := @XSLTPROC@
 HTMLFILES := usbtoken.html
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = Makefile.in pkcs15-profile.5 $(HTMLFILES)
@@ -34,4 +35,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST	= $(MANSRC) pkcs15-profile.5.in pkcs-15v1_1.asn \
 STYLESHEET=/usr/share/sgml/docbook/stylesheet/xsl/nwalsh/xhtml/docbook.xsl
 
 %.html: %.xml
-	xsltproc -o $@ $(STYLESHEET) $< 
+	if test "$(XSLTPROC)"; then \
+		$(XSLTPROC) -o $@ $(STYLESHEET) $< ; \
+	else \
+		echo "xsltproc not installed; html docs not built" >&2; \
+	fi