diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.2.0.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.2.0.eb
index e39adfe0f434..413af61094bb 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.2.0.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.2.0.eb
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ dependencies = [
     ('freetype', '2.12.1'),
 ]
 
-preconfigopts = "./autogen.sh && "
+# define $GTKDOCIZE to 'echo' as workaround for https://github.com/easybuilders/easybuild-easyconfigs/issues/16567
+preconfigopts = "GTKDOCIZE=echo ./autogen.sh && "
 configopts = "--enable-introspection=yes --with-gobject=yes --enable-static --enable-shared --with-cairo "
 
 sanity_check_paths = {
diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
index a97ce9c0a876..2ffe6643c7cf 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-5.3.1-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ dependencies = [
     ('freetype', '2.13.0'),
 ]
 
-preconfigopts = "./autogen.sh && "
+# define $GTKDOCIZE to 'echo' as workaround for https://github.com/easybuilders/easybuild-easyconfigs/issues/16567
+preconfigopts = "GTKDOCIZE=echo ./autogen.sh && "
 configopts = "--enable-introspection=yes --with-gobject=yes --enable-static --enable-shared --with-cairo "
 
 sanity_check_paths = {
diff --git a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-8.2.2-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-8.2.2-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb
index 8521cf6e258c..efab63ddcc63 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-8.2.2-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb
+++ b/easybuild/easyconfigs/h/HarfBuzz/HarfBuzz-8.2.2-GCCcore-13.2.0.eb
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ dependencies = [
     ('freetype', '2.13.2'),
 ]
 
-preconfigopts = "./autogen.sh && "
+# define $GTKDOCIZE to 'echo' as workaround for https://github.com/easybuilders/easybuild-easyconfigs/issues/16567
+preconfigopts = "GTKDOCIZE=echo ./autogen.sh && "
 configopts = "--enable-introspection=yes --with-gobject=yes --enable-static --enable-shared --with-cairo "
 
 sanity_check_paths = {