diff --git a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
index 643a3e7ae..1a3c52045 100644
--- a/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
+++ b/documentation/ref-manual/variables.rst
@@ -4487,6 +4487,20 @@ system and gives an overview of their function and contents.
 
          INHERIT_DISTRO ?= "debian devshell sstate license remove-libtool create-spdx"
 
+   :term:`INHIBIT_AUTOTOOLS_DEPS`
+      Prevents the :ref:`ref-classes-autotools` class from automatically adding its default build-time dependencies.
+
+      When a recipe inherits the :ref:`ref-classes-autotools` class, several native cross tools such as
+      ``autoconf-native``, ``automake-native``, ``libtool-native``, ``libtool-cross``
+      are added to :term:`DEPENDS` to support the autotools build process.
+
+      To prevent the build system from adding these dependencies automatically, set the
+      :term:`INHIBIT_AUTOTOOLS_DEPS` variable as follows::
+
+         INHIBIT_AUTOTOOLS_DEPS = "1"
+
+      By default, the value of :term:`INHIBIT_AUTOTOOLS_DEPS` is empty.
+
    :term:`INHIBIT_DEFAULT_DEPS`
       Prevents the default dependencies, namely the C compiler and standard
       C library (libc), from being added to :term:`DEPENDS`.