Index: Makefile.in
==================================================================
--- Makefile.in
+++ Makefile.in
@@ -169,5 +169,6 @@
 container-stop:
 	$(CENGINE) stop $(CNTVER)
 
 container-version:
 	@echo $(CNTVER)
+#

Index: auto.def
==================================================================
--- auto.def
+++ auto.def
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@
     fusefs=1             => {Disable the Fuse Filesystem}
     fossil-debug=0       => {Build with fossil debugging enabled}
     no-opt=0             => {Build without optimization}
     json=0               => {Build with fossil JSON API enabled}
     with-emsdk:path      => {Directory containing the Emscripten SDK}
-    no-compile-commands=0 =>
-      "Disable compile_commands.json support even if detected (possibly incorrectly)."
+    compile-commands=0 =>
+      "Check for compile_commands.json support."
 }
 
 # Update the minimum required SQLite version number here, and also
 # in src/main.c near the sqlite3_libversion_number() call.  Take care
 # that both places agree!
@@ -745,35 +745,33 @@
 # argument it is assumed to be the name of an autosetup boolean config
 # option to explicitly DISABLE the compile_commands.json support.
 #
 # Returns 1 if supported, else 0. Defines MAKE_COMPILATION_DB to "yes"
 # if supported, "no" if not.
-proc check-compile-commands {{configOpt no-compile-commands}} {
-    msg-checking "compile_commands.json support... "
-    if {"" ne $configOpt && [opt-bool $configOpt]} {
-        msg-result "explicitly disabled"
-        define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB no
-        return 0
-    } else {
-        if {[cctest -lang c -cflags {/dev/null -MJ} -source {}]} {
-            # This test reportedly incorrectly succeeds on one of
-            # Martin G.'s older systems.
-            msg-result "compiler supports compile_commands.json"
-            define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB yes
-            return 1
-        } else {
-            msg-result "compiler does not support compile_commands.json"
-            define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB no
-            return 0
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-if {!$outOfTreeBuild} {
-  check-compile-commands
-} else {
-  define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB no
+proc check-compile-commands {} {
+    msg-checking "compile_commands.json support... "
+    if {[cctest -lang c -cflags {/dev/null -MJ} -source {}]} {
+        # This test reportedly incorrectly succeeds on one of
+        # Martin G.'s older systems.
+        msg-result "compiler supports compile_commands.json"
+        define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB yes
+        return 1
+    } else {
+        msg-result "compiler does not support compile_commands.json"
+        define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB no
+        return 0
+    }
+}
+
+define MAKE_COMPILATION_DB no
+if {!$outOfTreeBuild} {
+  if {[opt-bool compile-commands]} {
+    check-compile-commands
+  } else {
+    puts "Skipping check for compile-commands-capable compiler."
+  }
+} else {
   puts "Disabling compile_commands.json check for out-of-tree build."
   # This is an attempt to resolve the problem reported at
   # https://fossil-scm.org/forum/forumpost/d19061d09a8179d0
 }
 

Index: src/main.mk
==================================================================
--- src/main.mk
+++ src/main.mk
@@ -2174,5 +2174,6 @@
 #
 
 .PHONY: all install test clean
 .PHONY: compile-commands-clean compile-commands-dir
 
+#