diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 9e7d760..ad49be1 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -49,13 +49,21 @@ print_success "Done"
 
 
 
-# Check that the default build operation runs; also, build and save the
-# documentation whilst we're at it
-do_cmd ./make.sh default docs || exit 1
-do_cmd mv html "../${PKGNAME}-doc" || exit 1
+# Check that the default build operation runs
+do_cmd ./make.sh || exit 1
 
 
 
+# build and save the documentation, if required
+BUILD_DOCS=""
+[ -e src/docs ] && BUILD_DOCS="1"
+if [ ! -z ${BUILD_DOCS} ]
+then
+    do_cmd ./make.sh docs || exit 1
+    do_cmd mv html "../${PKGNAME}-doc" || exit 1
+fi
+
+
 # Clean up
 do_cmd ./make.sh clean || exit 1
 do_cmd rm -rf .git || exit 1
@@ -65,11 +73,15 @@ do_cmd rm -rf .git || exit 1
 # Build archive, md5sum and signature
 cd ..
 tar c "${PKGNAME}" | bzip2 > "${PKGNAME}.tar.bz2"
-tar c "${PKGNAME}-doc" | bzip2 > "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2"
 sha1sum "${PKGNAME}.tar.bz2" > "${PKGNAME}.sha1"
-sha1sum "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2" > "${PKGNAME}-doc.sha1"
 gpg -a -b "${PKGNAME}.tar.bz2"
-gpg -a -b "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2"
+
+if [ ! -z ${BUILD_DOCS} ]
+then
+    tar c "${PKGNAME}-doc" | bzip2 > "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2"
+    sha1sum "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2" > "${PKGNAME}-doc.sha1"
+    gpg -a -b "${PKGNAME}-doc.tar.bz2"
+fi