diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ffe73920a9..184d55f34e6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ STRING(REGEX REPLACE "[0-9]*.[0-9]*.([0-9]*)" "\\1" SHOGUN_VERSION_PATCH "${VERS
 SET(BUILD_STATIC "Build a statically linked binary" OFF)
 ################# EXAMPLES ##################
 OPTION(BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build Examples" ON)
+OPTION(BUILD_META_EXAMPLES "Generate API examples from meta-examples" ON)
 # note the examples dir is added below after tests have been defined
 
 ################# DATATYPES #################
@@ -662,7 +663,6 @@ ENDIF()
 FIND_PACKAGE(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
 
 # Meta examples and dependencies
-OPTION(BUILD_META_EXAMPLES "Generate API examples from meta-examples" ON)
 IF(BUILD_META_EXAMPLES)
     include(FindPythonModule)
     find_python_module(ply REQUIRED)
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ ENDIF()
 
 IF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples)
 	IF(ENABLE_TESTING AND NOT BUILD_EXAMPLES)
-	    message("Tests require (disabled) examples, enabling.")
+	    message(STATUS "Tests require (disabled) examples, enabling.")
 	ENDIF()
     IF(ENABLE_TESTING OR BUILD_EXAMPLES)
 	    add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/examples)
diff --git a/cmake/FindCtags.cmake b/cmake/FindCtags.cmake
index ff2bc660988..764bace391f 100644
--- a/cmake/FindCtags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindCtags.cmake
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ find_program( CTAGS_EXECUTABLE
     NAMES ctags
     DOC "ctags executable"
 )
-mark_as_advanced( CTAGS_EXECUTABLE )
 
 if( CTAGS_EXECUTABLE )
     execute_process(COMMAND ${CTAGS_EXECUTABLE} --version
@@ -21,12 +20,24 @@ if( CTAGS_EXECUTABLE )
         OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
     )
 
-    if( ctags_version MATCHES "^Exuberant Ctags [0-9]" )
-        string( REPLACE "Exuberant Ctags " "" CTAGS_VERSION_STRING "${ctags_version}" )
-        string( REGEX REPLACE ",.*$" "" CTAGS_VERSION_STRING ${CTAGS_VERSION_STRING} )
-    endif()
+    if (ctags_version STREQUAL "")
+        unset(CTAGS_EXECUTABLE CACHE)
+        MESSAGE(STATUS "The ctags found is not suitable for meta examples.")
+    else()
+        string(TOLOWER ${ctags_version} ctags_version)
+        if(NOT ctags_version MATCHES exuberant)
+            set(CTAGS_FLAVOR "GNU")
+        else()
+            set(CTAGS_FLAVOR "Exuberant")
+            string( REPLACE "Exuberant Ctags " "" CTAGS_VERSION_STRING "${ctags_version}" )
+            string( REGEX REPLACE ",.*$" "" CTAGS_VERSION_STRING ${CTAGS_VERSION_STRING} )
+        endif()
+        set(CTAGS_FLAVOR ${CTAGS_FLAVOR} CACHE STRING "Ctags executable flavour" FORCE)
+        message(STATUS "Ctags flavour: ${CTAGS_FLAVOR}")
 
-    unset( ctags_version )
+        unset( ctags_version )
+        mark_as_advanced( CTAGS_EXECUTABLE )
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 # Handle the QUIETLY and REQUIRED arguments and set CTAGS_FOUND to TRUE if
diff --git a/doc/cookbook/CMakeLists.txt b/doc/cookbook/CMakeLists.txt
index 28ca0f72b17..48b2b839733 100644
--- a/doc/cookbook/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/doc/cookbook/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ add_custom_target(cookbook_sphinx_linkcheck
     DEPENDS cookbook_sphinx_extensions cookbook_sphinx_templates
             cookbook_sphinx_static meta_examples)
 
-add_custom_target(cookbook doc
+add_custom_target(cookbook
     ${SPHINX_EXECUTABLE}
     -q -b html
     -c "${BINARY_BUILD_DIR}"