diff --git a/dev-cpp/vexcl/files/add-sphinx-ext-autodoc-to-conf-py.patch b/dev-cpp/vexcl/files/add-sphinx-ext-autodoc-to-conf-py.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..405376cf95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev-cpp/vexcl/files/add-sphinx-ext-autodoc-to-conf-py.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- a/docs/conf.py
++++ b/docs/conf.py
+@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
+ # Add any Sphinx extension module names here, as strings. They can be
+ # extensions coming with Sphinx (named 'sphinx.ext.*') or your custom
+ # ones.
+-extensions = ['breathe', 'sphinx.ext.mathjax',
++extensions = ['breathe', 'sphinx.ext.mathjax', 'sphinx.ext.autodoc',
+         'matplotlib.sphinxext.plot_directive']
+ 
+ breathe_projects = {'VEXCL' : 'xml'}
diff --git a/dev-cpp/vexcl/vexcl-1.4.2-r1.ebuild b/dev-cpp/vexcl/vexcl-1.4.2-r1.ebuild
index a2599bbb7c..b3c196c697 100644
--- a/dev-cpp/vexcl/vexcl-1.4.2-r1.ebuild
+++ b/dev-cpp/vexcl/vexcl-1.4.2-r1.ebuild
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 EAPI=7
 
-#DOCS_AUTODOC=0
 DOCS_BUILDER="sphinx"
-DOCS_DEPEND="dev-python/sphinx-bootstrap-theme"
+DOCS_DEPEND="
+	dev-python/breathe
+	dev-python/sphinx-bootstrap-theme
+"
 DOCS_DIR="docs"
 PYTHON_COMPAT=( python3_{7..9} )
 
@@ -29,9 +31,10 @@ RDEPEND="
 "
 DEPEND="${RDEPEND}"
 
+PATCHES=( "${FILESDIR}/add-sphinx-ext-autodoc-to-conf-py.patch" )
+
 src_prepare() {
-	default
-	sed -e "s|git_version()|${PV}|g" -i docs/conf.py || die
+	sed -e "s|git_version()|\'${PV}\'|g" -i docs/conf.py || die
 	cmake_src_prepare
 }