diff --git a/_includes/package_links.html b/_includes/package_links.html
index b0f6e80..aed5aec 100644
--- a/_includes/package_links.html
+++ b/_includes/package_links.html
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 {% endif %}
 
 <div class="list-group list-group-sm {%if horizontal%}list-group-horizontal list-group-justified{%endif%}">
-  <a class="{{list_group_class}}"
-     target="_blank"
-     href="{{ package.data.docs_uri }}"
-     title="View API documentation on docs.ros.org"
-     {% unless package.snapshot.documented %}disabled{% endunless %}>
+  <a class="{{list_group_class}} {% if package.data.docs_uri == '' %}disabled{% endif %}" target="_blank"
+     {% unless package.data.docs_uri == '' %}href="{{ package.data.docs_uri }}"{% endunless %}
+     {% if package.data.docs_uri == '' %}href="javascript:void(0)"{% endif %}
+     title="View API documentation">
        <span style="margin-right: 5px;" class="glyphicon glyphicon-file"></span>
        {%if hide_link_labels%}<br>{%endif%}
        API Docs
diff --git a/_plugins/rosindex_generator.rb b/_plugins/rosindex_generator.rb
index 2bf6ba3..371657a 100644
--- a/_plugins/rosindex_generator.rb
+++ b/_plugins/rosindex_generator.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 require 'uri'
 require 'set'
 require 'yaml'
-require "net/http"
+require 'net/http'
 require 'thread'
 
 # local libs
@@ -513,6 +513,15 @@ def extract_package(site, distro, repo, snapshot, checkout_path, path, pkg_type,
         docs_uri = "http://docs.ros.org/#{DEFAULT_LANGUAGE_PREFIX}/#{distro}/p/#{package_name}"
       end
 
+      # ensure documentation uri refers to an existing site
+      url = URI(docs_uri)
+      Net::HTTP.start(url.host, url.port) do |http|
+        response = http.head(url.path)
+        if response.code != '200'
+          docs_uri = ''
+        end
+      end
+
       # try to acquire information on the CI status of the package
       ci_data = get_ci_data(distro, package_name, repo.name)