diff --git a/.github/workflows/autotools_2.yml b/.github/workflows/autotools_2.yml
index 1c81071c3e4..ce785c492fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/autotools_2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/autotools_2.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
         tar -xzvf pnetcdf-1.11.0.tar.gz
         ls -l
         pushd pnetcdf-1.11.0
-        ./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-shared
+        ./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-shared --disable-cxx
         make
         sudo make install
         popd
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ jobs:
     - name: autoreconf
       run: autoreconf -i
     - name: configure
-      run: ./configure --enable-docs; cat config.log
+      run: |
+        doxygen --version
+        ./configure --enable-docs
+        cat config.log
     - name: make check
       run: make check
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0ccc1ee2150..c0d2a920d39 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ if test -z "$DOXYGEN" -a "x$enable_docs" = xyes; then
    AC_MSG_ERROR([Doxygen not found but --enable-docs used.])
 fi
 
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([processing doxyfile])
 # If building docs, process Doxyfile.in into Doxyfile.
 if test "x$enable_docs" = xyes; then
    AC_SUBST([CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR], ["."])
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ if test "x$enable_docs" = xyes; then
    AC_CONFIG_FILES([doc/Doxyfile])
 fi
 
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([setting flags])
 # NetCDF (at least classic) is required for PIO to build.
 AC_DEFINE([_NETCDF], [1], [netCDF classic library available])