diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 22123dfc9c..3d900702e5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -563,10 +563,11 @@ add_subdirectory(lib/scripts "${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/scripts")
 if(LYX_INSTALL)
 	FIND_PROGRAM(LYX_PERL_EXECUTABLE perl)
 	if(${LYX_PERL_EXECUTABLE} MATCHES "-NOTFOUND")
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "Perl required!")
+		message(STATUS "Perl required to create doc!")
+	else()
+		add_subdirectory(${LYX_CMAKE_DIR}/man "${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/man")
+		add_subdirectory(${LYX_CMAKE_DIR}/doc "${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/doc")
 	endif()
-	add_subdirectory(${LYX_CMAKE_DIR}/man "${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/man")
-	add_subdirectory(${LYX_CMAKE_DIR}/doc "${TOP_BINARY_DIR}/doc")
 	include(../Install)
 endif()