diff --git a/docs/reference/gio/meson.build b/docs/reference/gio/meson.build
index 0176096fc..e16554aa6 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gio/meson.build
+++ b/docs/reference/gio/meson.build
@@ -235,11 +235,10 @@ expand_content_files = [
   'overview.md',
 ]
 
-gio_gir = meson.current_source_dir() / 'Gio-2.0.gir'
 gio_toml = configure_file(input: 'gio.toml.in', output: 'gio.toml', configuration: toml_conf)
 
 custom_target('gio-docs',
-  input: [ gio_toml, gio_gir ],
+  input: [ gio_toml, gio_gir[0] ],
   output: 'gio',
   command: [
     gidocgen,
diff --git a/docs/reference/glib/meson.build b/docs/reference/glib/meson.build
index 03dbb10ba..9caed86ed 100644
--- a/docs/reference/glib/meson.build
+++ b/docs/reference/glib/meson.build
@@ -166,11 +166,10 @@ expand_content_files = [
   'unicode.md',
 ]
 
-glib_gir = meson.current_source_dir() / 'GLib-2.0.gir'
 glib_toml = configure_file(input: 'glib.toml.in', output: 'glib.toml', configuration: toml_conf)
 
 custom_target('glib-docs',
-  input: [ glib_toml, glib_gir ],
+  input: [ glib_toml, glib_gir[0] ],
   output: 'glib',
   command: [
     gidocgen,
diff --git a/docs/reference/gmodule/meson.build b/docs/reference/gmodule/meson.build
index 026dc8a70..f8351e546 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gmodule/meson.build
+++ b/docs/reference/gmodule/meson.build
@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@ expand_content_files = [
   'modules.md',
 ]
 
-gmodule_gir = meson.current_source_dir() / 'GModule-2.0.gir'
 gmodule_toml = configure_file(input: 'gmodule.toml.in', output: 'gmodule.toml', configuration: toml_conf)
 
 custom_target('gmodule-docs',
-  input: [ gmodule_toml, gmodule_gir ],
+  input: [ gmodule_toml, gmodule_gir[0] ],
   output: 'gmodule',
   command: [
     gidocgen,
diff --git a/docs/reference/gobject/meson.build b/docs/reference/gobject/meson.build
index c662b66f3..7a39440dd 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gobject/meson.build
+++ b/docs/reference/gobject/meson.build
@@ -76,11 +76,10 @@ expand_content_files = [
   'signals.md',
 ]
 
-gobject_gir = meson.current_source_dir() / 'GObject-2.0.gir'
 gobject_toml = configure_file(input: 'gobject.toml.in', output: 'gobject.toml', configuration: toml_conf)
 
 custom_target('gobject-docs',
-  input: [ gobject_toml, gobject_gir ],
+  input: [ gobject_toml, gobject_gir[0] ],
   output: 'gobject',
   command: [
     gidocgen,
diff --git a/docs/reference/meson.build b/docs/reference/meson.build
index 8dbc50a4f..e26bd548b 100644
--- a/docs/reference/meson.build
+++ b/docs/reference/meson.build
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ if get_option('gtk_doc')
 endif
 
 # gi-docgen version
-if get_option('gtk_doc')
+if get_option('gtk_doc') and enable_gir
   gidocgen_dep = dependency('gi-docgen', version: '>= 2023.1',
                           fallback: ['gi-docgen', 'dummy_dep'],
                           required: true)