diff --git a/build-support/macros-and-definitions.cmake b/build-support/macros-and-definitions.cmake
index 37e5621a3..1215c2161 100644
--- a/build-support/macros-and-definitions.cmake
+++ b/build-support/macros-and-definitions.cmake
@@ -1059,61 +1059,11 @@ macro(process_options)
     # We checked this already exists, but we need the path to the executable
     set(DOXYGEN_EXECUTABLE ${DOXYGEN})
 
-    # Get introspected doxygen
-    add_custom_target(
-      run-print-introspected-doxygen
-      COMMAND
-        ${CMAKE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/utils/ns${NS3_VER}-print-introspected-doxygen${build_profile_suffix}
-        > ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-doxygen.h
-      COMMAND
-        ${CMAKE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/utils/ns${NS3_VER}-print-introspected-doxygen${build_profile_suffix}
-        --output-text > ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/ns3-object.txt
-      DEPENDS print-introspected-doxygen
-    )
-    add_custom_target(
-      run-introspected-command-line
-      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env NS_COMMANDLINE_INTROSPECTION=..
-              ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ./test.py --no-build --constrain=example
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
-      DEPENDS all-test-targets # all-test-targets only exists if ENABLE_TESTS is
-                               # set to ON
-    )
-
-    file(
-      WRITE ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/introspected-command-line-preamble.h
-      "/* This file is automatically generated by
-  CommandLine::PrintDoxygenUsage() from the CommandLine configuration
-  in various example programs.  Do not edit this file!  Edit the
-  CommandLine configuration in those files instead.
-  */\n"
-    )
-    add_custom_target(
-      assemble-introspected-command-line
-      # works on CMake 3.18 or newer > COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E cat
-      # ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/testpy-output/*.command-line >
-      # ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-command-line.h
-      COMMAND
-        ${cat_command} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/introspected-command-line-preamble.h
-        ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/testpy-output/*.command-line >
-        ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-command-line.h 2> NULL
-      DEPENDS run-introspected-command-line
-    )
-
     add_custom_target(
       update_doxygen_version
       COMMAND bash ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/ns3_html_theme/get_version.sh
       WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
     )
-
-    add_custom_target(
-      doxygen
-      COMMAND ${DOXYGEN_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/doxygen.conf
-      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
-      DEPENDS update_doxygen_version run-print-introspected-doxygen
-              assemble-introspected-command-line
-      USES_TERMINAL
-    )
-
     add_custom_target(
       doxygen-no-build
       COMMAND ${DOXYGEN_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/doxygen.conf
@@ -1121,6 +1071,69 @@ macro(process_options)
       DEPENDS update_doxygen_version
       USES_TERMINAL
     )
+    # The `doxygen` target only really works if we have tests enabled, so emit a
+    # warning to use `doxygen-no-build` instead.
+    if((NOT ${ENABLE_TESTS}) AND (NOT ${ENABLE_EXAMPLES}))
+      # cmake-format: off
+      set(doxygen_target_requires_tests_msg
+              echo The \\'doxygen\\' target called by \\'./ns3 docs doxygen\\' or \\'./ns3 docs all\\' commands
+              require examples and tests to generate introspected documentation.
+              Enable examples and tests, or use \\'doxygen-no-build\\'.
+              )
+      # cmake-format: on
+      add_custom_target(doxygen COMMAND ${doxygen_target_requires_tests_msg})
+      unset(doxygen_target_requires_tests_msg)
+    else()
+      # Get introspected doxygen
+      add_custom_target(
+        run-print-introspected-doxygen
+        COMMAND
+          ${CMAKE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/utils/ns${NS3_VER}-print-introspected-doxygen${build_profile_suffix}
+          > ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-doxygen.h
+        COMMAND
+          ${CMAKE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/utils/ns${NS3_VER}-print-introspected-doxygen${build_profile_suffix}
+          --output-text > ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/ns3-object.txt
+        DEPENDS print-introspected-doxygen
+      )
+      add_custom_target(
+        run-introspected-command-line
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E env NS_COMMANDLINE_INTROSPECTION=..
+                ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} ./test.py --no-build --constrain=example
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+        DEPENDS all-test-targets # all-test-targets only exists if ENABLE_TESTS
+                                 # is set to ON
+      )
+
+      file(
+        WRITE ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/introspected-command-line-preamble.h
+        "/* This file is automatically generated by
+  CommandLine::PrintDoxygenUsage() from the CommandLine configuration
+  in various example programs.  Do not edit this file!  Edit the
+  CommandLine configuration in those files instead.
+  */\n"
+      )
+      add_custom_target(
+        assemble-introspected-command-line
+        # works on CMake 3.18 or newer > COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E cat
+        # ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/testpy-output/*.command-line >
+        # ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-command-line.h
+        COMMAND
+          ${cat_command}
+          ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/introspected-command-line-preamble.h
+          ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/testpy-output/*.command-line >
+          ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/introspected-command-line.h 2> NULL
+        DEPENDS run-introspected-command-line
+      )
+
+      add_custom_target(
+        doxygen
+        COMMAND ${DOXYGEN_EXECUTABLE} ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/doc/doxygen.conf
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+        DEPENDS update_doxygen_version run-print-introspected-doxygen
+                assemble-introspected-command-line
+        USES_TERMINAL
+      )
+    endif()
   endif()
 
   # Now we check for sphinx dependencies
diff --git a/ns3 b/ns3
index deb047ff2..4bd72a653 100755
--- a/ns3
+++ b/ns3
@@ -1457,7 +1457,7 @@ def main():
         args.build = [args.docs] if args.docs != "all" else ["sphinx", "doxygen"]
         if "doxygen" in args.build and (not build_info["ENABLE_EXAMPLES"] or not build_info["ENABLE_TESTS"]):
             print('The "./ns3 docs doxygen" and "./ns3 docs all" commands,\n'
-                  'require examples and tests to generate introspected documentation.\n'
+                  'requires examples and tests to generate introspected documentation.\n'
                   'Try "./ns3 docs doxygen-no-build" or enable examples and tests.')
             exit(1)