diff --git a/build-docs.sh b/build-docs.sh
index f7d3e6c0758c873bd0df6d5742eb5ee77f766b8d..03976bf98c4ff2a6403c287df6de8b95c1534a95 100644
--- a/build-docs.sh
+++ b/build-docs.sh
@@ -67,7 +67,11 @@ END
 
 make html
 
-echo "${DOC_UPLOAD_KEY}" > doc_upload_key
-chmod 0600 doc_upload_key
-RSYNC_RSH="ssh -F doc_upload_ssh_config" ./upload-docs.sh || { rm doc_upload_key; exit 1; }
-rm doc_upload_key
+if test -n "${DOC_UPLOAD_KEY}"; then
+  echo "${DOC_UPLOAD_KEY}" > doc_upload_key
+  chmod 0600 doc_upload_key
+  RSYNC_RSH="ssh -F doc_upload_ssh_config" ./upload-docs.sh || { rm doc_upload_key; exit 1; }
+  rm doc_upload_key
+else
+  echo "Skipping upload. DOC_UPLOAD_KEY was not provided."
+fi