diff --git a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
index 104f32206..70ba635eb 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/pybind11.h
@@ -439,9 +439,9 @@ protected:
 
         /* Install docstring */
         auto *func = (PyCFunctionObject *) m_ptr;
-        if (func->m_ml->ml_doc)
-            std::free(const_cast<char *>(func->m_ml->ml_doc));
-        func->m_ml->ml_doc = strdup(signatures.c_str());
+        std::free(const_cast<char *>(func->m_ml->ml_doc));
+        // Install docstring if it's non-empty (when at least one option is enabled)
+        func->m_ml->ml_doc = signatures.empty() ? nullptr : strdup(signatures.c_str());
 
         if (rec->is_method) {
             m_ptr = PYBIND11_INSTANCE_METHOD_NEW(m_ptr, rec->scope.ptr());
diff --git a/tests/test_docstring_options.cpp b/tests/test_docstring_options.cpp
index 8c8f79fd5..8a97af55f 100644
--- a/tests/test_docstring_options.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_docstring_options.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ TEST_SUBMODULE(docstring_options, m) {
 
     m.def("test_function7", [](int, int) {}, py::arg("a"), py::arg("b"), "A custom docstring");
 
+    {
+        py::options options;
+        options.disable_user_defined_docstrings();
+        options.disable_function_signatures();
+
+        m.def("test_function8", []() {});
+    }
+
     {
         py::options options;
         options.disable_user_defined_docstrings();
diff --git a/tests/test_docstring_options.py b/tests/test_docstring_options.py
index 87d80d2df..8ee661388 100644
--- a/tests/test_docstring_options.py
+++ b/tests/test_docstring_options.py
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ def test_docstring_options():
     assert m.test_function7.__doc__.startswith("test_function7(a: int, b: int) -> None")
     assert m.test_function7.__doc__.endswith("A custom docstring\n")
 
+    # when all options are disabled, no docstring (instead of an empty one) should be generated
+    assert m.test_function8.__doc__ is None
+
     # Suppression of user-defined docstrings for non-function objects
     assert not m.DocstringTestFoo.__doc__
     assert not m.DocstringTestFoo.value_prop.__doc__