diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9830061b3..1603f505b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1042,6 +1042,14 @@ AC_SUBST(CAIRO_PREFIX)
 AC_SUBST(GLIB_PREFIX)
 AC_SUBST(PANGO_PREFIX)
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([cogl2-reference],
+              [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-cogl2-reference=@<:@no/yes@:>@],
+                              [Build Cogl-2.0 API Reference])],
+              [enable_cogl2_reference=$enableval],
+              [enable_cogl2_reference=no])
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_COGL2_REFERENCE], [test "x$enable_gtk_doc" = "xyes" && test "x$enable_cogl2_reference" = "xyes"])
+
 dnl === Manual ================================================================
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([docs],
diff --git a/doc/reference/Makefile.am b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
index 90acd8fdb..836e261c0 100644
--- a/doc/reference/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
@@ -1 +1,7 @@
-SUBDIRS = cogl cogl-2.0 clutter cally
+SUBDIRS = cogl clutter cally
+
+if BUILD_COGL2_REFERENCE
+SUBDIRS += cogl-2.0
+endif
+
+DIST_SUBDIRS = cogl cogl-2.0 clutter cally