diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index bd7bf17e7fc..956c9ce56a3 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ def generate_coverage_report(session: nox.Session) -> None:
 @nox.session(venv_backend="none")
 def rustfmt(session: nox.Session):
     _run_cargo(session, "fmt", "--all", "--check")
-    _run_cargo(session, "fmt", _FFI_CHECK, "--all", "--check")
+    with session.cd(_FFI_CHECK_DIR):
+        _run_cargo(session, "fmt", "--all", "--check")
 
 
 @nox.session(name="ruff")
@@ -255,8 +256,8 @@ def _clippy_additional_workspaces(session: nox.Session) -> bool:
     target = os.environ.get("CARGO_BUILD_TARGET")
     if target is None or _get_rust_default_target() == target:
         try:
-            _build_docs_for_ffi_check(session)
-            _run_cargo(session, "clippy", _FFI_CHECK, "--workspace", "--all-targets")
+            with session.cd(_FFI_CHECK_DIR):
+                _run_cargo(session, "clippy", "--workspace", "--all-targets")
         except Exception:
             success = False
     return success
@@ -939,10 +940,10 @@ def load_pkg_versions():
         )
 
 
-@nox.session(name="ffi-check")
+@nox.session(name="ffi-check", venv_backend="none")
 def ffi_check(session: nox.Session):
-    _build_docs_for_ffi_check(session)
-    _run_cargo(session, "run", _FFI_CHECK)
+    with session.cd(_FFI_CHECK_DIR):
+        _run_cargo(session, "run")
 
 
 @nox.session(name="test-version-limits")
@@ -1131,13 +1132,6 @@ def test_introspection(session: nox.Session):
     )
 
 
-def _build_docs_for_ffi_check(session: nox.Session) -> None:
-    # pyo3-ffi-check needs to scrape docs of pyo3-ffi
-    env = os.environ.copy()
-    env["PYO3_PYTHON"] = sys.executable
-    _run_cargo(session, "doc", _FFI_CHECK, "-p", "pyo3-ffi", "--no-deps", env=env)
-
-
 @lru_cache()
 def _get_rust_info() -> Tuple[str, ...]:
     output = _get_output("rustc", "-vV")
@@ -1345,4 +1339,7 @@ def _is_github_actions() -> bool:
 
 
 _BENCHES = "--manifest-path=pyo3-benches/Cargo.toml"
-_FFI_CHECK = "--manifest-path=pyo3-ffi-check/Cargo.toml"
+
+# NB: to pick up correct cargo configuration, always invoke cargo commands for ffi-check
+# from within the ffi-check directory
+_FFI_CHECK_DIR = PYO3_DIR / "pyo3-ffi-check"
diff --git a/pyo3-ffi-check/.cargo/config.toml b/pyo3-ffi-check/.cargo/config.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ab7fc1ea7c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyo3-ffi-check/.cargo/config.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[env]
+# a lazy way to skip linking to Python; ffi-check uses the symbols and values but doesn't call any Python APIs
+#
+# NB this config file is only used when cargo is invoke from the pyo3-ffi-check directory.
+PYO3_BUILD_EXTENSION_MODULE = "1"
diff --git a/pyo3-ffi-check/Cargo.toml b/pyo3-ffi-check/Cargo.toml
index cdf38c9f9bf..6c861139098 100644
--- a/pyo3-ffi-check/Cargo.toml
+++ b/pyo3-ffi-check/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,10 +6,7 @@ publish = false
 
 [dependencies]
 pyo3-ffi-check-macro = { path = "./macro" }
-
-[dependencies.pyo3-ffi]
-path = "../pyo3-ffi"
-features = ["extension-module"]  # A lazy way of skipping linking in most cases (as we don't use any runtime symbols)
+pyo3-ffi = { path = "../pyo3-ffi" }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 bindgen = "0.69.4"
diff --git a/pyo3-ffi-check/build.rs b/pyo3-ffi-check/build.rs
index e7cfbe40df3..5d7bfdd948d 100644
--- a/pyo3-ffi-check/build.rs
+++ b/pyo3-ffi-check/build.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,31 @@ impl bindgen::callbacks::ParseCallbacks for ParseCallbacks {
 
 fn main() {
     let config = pyo3_build_config::get();
+
+    // build docs for pyo3-ffi
+    let docs_build = std::process::Command::new("cargo")
+        .args([
+            "doc",
+            "--manifest-path",
+            &format!("{}/Cargo.toml", env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").unwrap()),
+            "--target-dir",
+            &format!("{}/doc_build", env::var("OUT_DIR").unwrap()),
+            "--no-deps",
+            "--package",
+            "pyo3-ffi",
+        ])
+        .env(
+            "PYO3_PYTHON",
+            config
+                .executable
+                .as_ref()
+                .expect("need executable for ffi check"),
+        )
+        .status()
+        .expect("failed to build pyo3-ffi docs");
+
+    assert!(docs_build.success(), "failed to build pyo3-ffi docs");
+
     let python_include_dir = config
         .run_python_script(
             "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('INCLUDEPY'), end='');",
diff --git a/pyo3-ffi-check/macro/src/lib.rs b/pyo3-ffi-check/macro/src/lib.rs
index 41092b9020e..3a19fa8aa50 100644
--- a/pyo3-ffi-check/macro/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pyo3-ffi-check/macro/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-use std::{env, fs, path::PathBuf};
+use std::{
+    env, fs,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+};
 
 use proc_macro2::{Ident, Span, TokenStream, TokenTree};
 use pyo3_build_config::PythonVersion;
@@ -67,16 +70,7 @@ pub fn for_all_structs(input: proc_macro::TokenStream) -> proc_macro::TokenStrea
 }
 
 fn get_doc_dir() -> PathBuf {
-    let path = PathBuf::from(env::var_os("OUT_DIR").unwrap());
-    path.parent()
-        .unwrap()
-        .parent()
-        .unwrap()
-        .parent()
-        .unwrap()
-        .parent()
-        .unwrap()
-        .to_owned()
+    Path::new(&env::var_os("OUT_DIR").unwrap()).join("doc_build")
 }
 
 /// Macro which expands to multiple macro calls, one per field in a pyo3-ffi