diff --git a/docs/CMakeLists.txt b/docs/CMakeLists.txt
index a523da466c9a34479f06965b0b4334166cc2d645..0e3db77d7698a88b8cf2bea0184f1f788e8b4f80 100644
--- a/docs/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/docs/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ set(DOXYGEN_EXAMPLE_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/example)
 # configure doxygen config file
 configure_file(${DOXYFILE_IN} ${DOXYFILE_OUT} @ONLY)
 
-# create doxygen output directory
+# create doxygen output directories - to avoid parallel build issue
 file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${DOXYGEN_OUTPUT_DIR})
+file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${DOXYGEN_OUTPUT_DIR}/html)
+file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${DOXYGEN_OUTPUT_DIR}/xml)
 
 # todo(s.schulz): Add dependency on other files (Fortran module etc.)
 add_custom_command(