--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2231,7 +2231,7 @@
     fi
 
 # sphinx-build for documentation, and also check for a new enough version
-    AC_PATH_PROG([SPHINX_BUILD], [sphinx-build], [no])
+    SPHINX_BUILD="no"
     if test "$SPHINX_BUILD" != "no"; then
         MIN_SPHINX_BUILD_VERSION="3.4.3"
         sphinx_build_version=$($SPHINX_BUILD --version 2>&1 | cut -d' ' -f2-)
@@ -2257,7 +2257,7 @@
     AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_SURICATA_MAN], [test "x$have_suricata_man" = "xyes"])
 
 # pdflatex for the pdf version of the user manual
-    AC_PATH_PROG(HAVE_PDFLATEX, pdflatex, "no")
+    HAVE_PDFLATEX="no"
     if test "$HAVE_PDFLATEX" = "no"; then
        enable_pdflatex=no
     fi