diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 8205efa..d41b45c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ RUN set -e; \
       cp "${LOCAL_TARBALL}" gnunet.tar.gz; \
       tar xzf gnunet.tar.gz; \
       GNUNET_DIR="$(ls -d gnunet-* | head -1)"; \
-      if [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/meson.build" ] || [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/doc/handbook/meson.build" ]; then \
+      if [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/meson.build" ]; then \
         echo "Local tarball seems incomplete; falling back to git clone ${GNUNET_REF}"; \
         rm -rf "${GNUNET_DIR}"; \
         git clone --depth 1 --branch "${GNUNET_REF}" https://git.taler.net/gnunet.git gnunet; \
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ RUN set -e; \
       curl -L "${GNUNET_TARBALL_URL}" -o gnunet.tar.gz; \
       tar xzf gnunet.tar.gz; \
       GNUNET_DIR="$(ls -d gnunet-* | head -1)"; \
-      if [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/meson.build" ] || [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/doc/handbook/meson.build" ]; then \
+      if [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/meson.build" ]; then \
         echo "Tarball seems incomplete; falling back to git clone ${GNUNET_REF}"; \
         rm -rf "${GNUNET_DIR}"; \
         git clone --depth 1 --branch "${GNUNET_REF}" https://git.taler.net/gnunet.git gnunet; \
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ RUN set -e; \
       git clone --depth 1 --branch "${GNUNET_REF}" https://git.taler.net/gnunet.git gnunet; \
       GNUNET_DIR="gnunet"; \
     fi; \
+    if [ ! -f "${GNUNET_DIR}/doc/handbook/meson.build" ]; then \
+      echo "Creating stub doc/handbook/meson.build to satisfy Meson"; \
+      mkdir -p "${GNUNET_DIR}/doc/handbook"; \
+      printf "# auto-generated stub to skip handbook build\nsubdir_done()\n" > "${GNUNET_DIR}/doc/handbook/meson.build"; \
+    fi; \
     cd "${GNUNET_DIR}" && ./bootstrap && \
     ./configure --prefix=/usr && make -j$(nproc) && make install