diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 50e6870dd93..4a7c02c1e1b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -432,10 +432,7 @@ if test "$CXXFLAGS_overridden" = "no"; then
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wsuggest-override], [WARN_CXXFLAGS="$WARN_CXXFLAGS -Wsuggest-override"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wimplicit-fallthrough], [WARN_CXXFLAGS="$WARN_CXXFLAGS -Wimplicit-fallthrough"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
   AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wunreachable-code], [WARN_CXXFLAGS="$WARN_CXXFLAGS -Wunreachable-code"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
-
-  if test "$suppress_external_warnings" != "no" ; then
-    AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wdocumentation], [WARN_CXXFLAGS="$WARN_CXXFLAGS -Wdocumentation"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
-  fi
+  AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-Wdocumentation], [WARN_CXXFLAGS="$WARN_CXXFLAGS -Wdocumentation"], [], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
 
   dnl Some compilers (gcc) ignore unknown -Wno-* options, but warn about all
   dnl unknown options if any other warning is produced. Test the -Wfoo case, and