diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
deleted file mode 100644
index 404c00282a..0000000000
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-Cantera was originally developed by Dave Goodwin, with its first public release
-in 2001. Since then, many people have contributed to Cantera. Below is a
-partial, alphabetical list of developers and contributors to Cantera over the
-years. If you've been left off, please report the omission on the Github issue
-tracker.
-
-Rounak Agarwal (@agarwalrounak)
-David Akinpelu (@DavidAkinpelu), Louisiana State University
-Halla Ali (@hallaali)
-Emil Atz (@EmilAtz)
-Jongyoon Bae (@jongyoonbae), Brown University
-Philip Berndt
-Guus Bertens (@guusbertens), Eindhoven University of Technology
-Wolfgang Bessler (@wbessler), Offenburg University of Applied Science
-Paul Blum (@paulblum)
-Tilman Bremer
-Victor Brunini (@vbrunini), Sandia National Laboratory
-Bang-Shiuh Chen (@BangShiuh), Purdue University
-Parker Clayton (@parkerclayton)
-Ryan Crisanti
-Nicholas Curtis (@arghdos)
-Steven DeCaluwe (@decaluwe), Colorado School of Mines
-Vishesh Devgan (@vdevgan)
-Matthias Diener (@matthiasdiener), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
-Martey Dodoo (@martey)
-Thomas Fiala (@thomasfiala), Technische Universität München
-David Fronczek
-Mark E. Fuller (@mefuller), Technion
-Sammo Gabay (@Burkenyo)
-Niclas Garan (@Naikless), Technische Universität Berlin
-Matteo Giani (@MarcDuQuesne)
-Dave Goodwin, California Institute of Technology
-China Hagström (@chinahg), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-John Hewson (@jchewson), Sandia National Laboratory
-Trevor Hickey (@luxe)
-David Holland (@dholland88)
-Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek (@keszybz), Red Hat
-Yuanjie Jiang
-Benjamin Kee (@lionkey)
-Cory Kinney (@corykinney)
-Gandhali Kogekar (@gkogekar)
-Daniel Korff (@korffdm), Colorado School of Mines
-Ashwin Kumar (mgashwinkumar), Virginia Tech
-Jon Kristofer
-Samesh Lakothia (@sameshl)
-Kyle Linevitch, Jr. (@KyleLinevitchJr)
-Christopher Leuth
-Nicholas Malaya (@nicholasmalaya), University of Texas at Austin
-Thanasis Mattas (@ThanasisMattas), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
-Manik Mayur (@manikmayur)
-Evan McCorkle
-Joseph Meadows, Virginia Tech
-Phillip Mestas (@xMestas)
-Ivan Mitrichev (@imitrichev), Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia
-Harry Moffat (@hkmoffat), Sandia National Laboratory
-Christopher Neal (@wandadars)
-Kyle Niemeyer (@kyleniemeyer), Oregon State University
-Paul Northrop (@pwcnorthrop)
-Chris Pilko (@cpilko)
-Sebastian Pinnau (@spinnau)
-Corey R. Randall (@c-randall), Colorado School of Mines
-Andreas Rücker (@cannondale1492)
-Jeff Santner (@jsantner)
-Satyam Saxena (@CyberDrudge)
-Ingmar Schoegl (@ischoegl), Louisiana State University
-Santosh Shanbhogue (@santoshshanbhogue), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-Travis Sikes (@tsikes)
-Patrick Singal (@pjsingal) Columbia University
-Harsh Sinha (@sin-ha)
-Sai Krishna Sirumalla (@skrsna), Northeastern University
-David Sondak
-Raymond Speth (@speth), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-Su Sun (@ssun30), Northeastern University
-Daniel Thomas (@d-e-t), University of Minnesota
-Sergey Torokhov (@band-a-prend)
-Laurien Vandewalle (@lavdwall)
-Guillaume Vignat (@gvignat), Stanford University
-Anthony Walker (@anthony-walker), Oregon State University
-Bryan Weber (@bryanwweber), University of Connecticut
-Armin Wehrfritz (@awehrfritz)
-Richard West (@rwest), Northeastern University
-Shumeng Xie (@yeanment), National University of Singapore
-Chao Xu (@12Chao), Northeastern University
-Thorsten Zirwes (@g3bk47), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
diff --git a/AUTHORS.md b/AUTHORS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d776a82469
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AUTHORS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# Cantera Authors
+
+Cantera was originally developed by Dave Goodwin, with its first public release
+in 2001. Since then, many people have contributed to Cantera. Below is a
+partial, alphabetical list of developers and contributors to Cantera over the
+years, along with their last reported affiliation. If you have been left off or need an
+update, please report on Cantera's
+[Github issue tracker](https://github.com/Cantera/cantera/issues).
+
+- **Rounak Agarwal** [@agarwalrounak](https://github.com/agarwalrounak)
+- **David Akinpelu** [@DavidAkinpelu](https://github.com/DavidAkinpelu)
+- **Halla Ali** [@hallaali](https://github.com/hallaali)
+- **Emil Atz** [@EmilAtz](https://github.com/EmilAtz)
+- **Jongyoon Bae** [@jongyoonbae](https://github.com/jongyoonbae) - Brown University
+- **Philip Berndt**
+- **Guus Bertens** [@guusbertens](https://github.com/guusbertens) - Eindhoven University of Technology
+- **Wolfgang Bessler** [@wbessler](https://github.com/wbessler) - Offenburg University of Applied Science
+- **Paul Blum** [@paulblum](https://github.com/paulblum)
+- **Tilman Bremer**
+- **Victor Brunini** [@vbrunini](https://github.com/vbrunini) - Sandia National Laboratory
+- **Bang-Shiuh Chen** [@BangShiuh](https://github.com/BangShiuh) - Purdue University
+- **Parker Clayton** [@parkerclayton](https://github.com/parkerclayton)
+- **Ryan Crisanti** [@rcrisanti](https://github.com/rcrisanti)
+- **Nicholas Curtis** [@arghdos](https://github.com/arghdos)
+- **Steven DeCaluwe** [@decaluwe](https://github.com/decaluwe) - Colorado School of Mines
+- **Vishesh Devgan** [@vdevgan](https://github.com/vdevgan)
+- **Matthias Diener** [@matthiasdiener](https://github.com/matthiasdiener) - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
+- **Martey Dodoo** [@martey](https://github.com/martey)
+- **Thomas Fiala** [@thomasfiala](https://github.com/thomasfiala) - Technische Universität München
+- **David Fronczek**
+- **Mark E. Fuller** [@mefuller](https://github.com/mefuller) - Technion
+- **Sammo Gabay** [@Burkenyo](https://github.com/Burkenyo)
+- **Niclas Garan** [@Naikless](https://github.com/Naikless) - Technische Universität Berlin
+- **Matteo Giani** [@MarcDuQuesne](https://github.com/MarcDuQuesne)
+- **Dave Goodwin** - California Institute of Technology
+- **China Hagström** [@chinahg](https://github.com/chinahg) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
+- **John Hewson** [@jchewson](https://github.com/jchewson) - Sandia National Laboratory
+- **Trevor Hickey** [@luxe](https://github.com/luxe)
+- **David Holland** [@dholland88](https://github.com/dholland88)
+- **Zbigniew Jędrzejewski-Szmek** [@keszybz](https://github.com/keszybz) - Red Hat
+- **Yuanjie Jiang**
+- **Benjamin Kee** [@lionkey](https://github.com/lionkey)
+- **Cory Kinney** [@corykinney](https://github.com/corykinney)
+- **Gandhali Kogekar** [@gkogekar](https://github.com/gkogekar)
+- **Daniel Korff** [@korffdm](https://github.com/korffdm) - Colorado School of Mines
+- **Ashwin Kumar** [@mgashwinkumar](https://github.com/mgashwinkumar) - Virginia Tech
+- **Jon Kristofer**
+- **Samesh Lakothia** [@sameshl](https://github.com/sameshl)
+- **Kyle Linevitch, Jr.** [@KyleLinevitchJr](https://github.com/KyleLinevitchJr)
+- **Christopher Leuth**
+- **Nicholas Malaya** [@nicholasmalaya](https://github.com/nicholasmalaya) - University of Texas at Austin
+- **Thanasis Mattas** [@ThanasisMattas](https://github.com/ThanasisMattas) - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
+- **Manik Mayur** [@manikmayur](https://github.com/manikmayur)
+- **Evan McCorkle** [@emccorkle](https://github.com/emccorkle)
+- **Joseph Meadows** [@jwmeadows](https://github.com/jwmeadows) - Virginia Tech
+- **Phillip Mestas** [@xMestas](https://github.com/xMestas)
+- **Ivan Mitrichev** [@imitrichev](https://github.com/imitrichev) - Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia
+- **Harry Moffat** [@hkmoffat](https://github.com/hkmoffat) - Sandia National Laboratory
+- **Christopher Neal** [@wandadars](https://github.com/wandadars)
+- **Kyle Niemeyer** [@kyleniemeyer](https://github.com/kyleniemeyer) - Oregon State University
+- **Paul Northrop** [@pwcnorthrop](https://github.com/pwcnorthrop)
+- **Chris Pilko** [@cpilko](https://github.com/cpilko)
+- **Sebastian Pinnau** [@spinnau](https://github.com/spinnau)
+- **Corey R. Randall** [@c-randall](https://github.com/c-randall) - Colorado School of Mines
+- **Andreas Rücker** [@cannondale1492](https://github.com/cannondale1492)
+- **Jeff Santner** [@jsantner](https://github.com/jsantner)
+- **Satyam Saxena** [@CyberDrudge](https://github.com/CyberDrudge)
+- **Ingmar Schoegl** [@ischoegl](https://github.com/ischoegl) - Louisiana State University
+- **Santosh Shanbhogue** [@santoshshanbhogue](https://github.com/santoshshanbhogue) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
+- **Travis Sikes** [@tsikes](https://github.com/tsikes)
+- **Patrick Singal** [@pjsingal](https://github.com/pjsingal) - Columbia University
+- **Harsh Sinha** [@sin-ha](https://github.com/sin-ha)
+- **Sai Krishna Sirumalla** [@skrsna](https://github.com/skrsna) - Northeastern University
+- **David Sondak** [@dsondak](https://github.com/dsondak)
+- **Raymond Speth** [@speth](https://github.com/speth) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
+- **Su Sun** [@ssun30](https://github.com/ssun30) - Northeastern University
+- **Daniel Thomas** [@d-e-t](https://github.com/d-e-t) - University of Minnesota
+- **Sergey Torokhov** [@band-a-prend](https://github.com/band-a-prend)
+- **Laurien Vandewalle** [@lavdwall](https://github.com/lavdwall)
+- **Guillaume Vignat** [@gvignat](https://github.com/gvignat) - Stanford University
+- **Anthony Walker** [@anthony-walker](https://github.com/anthony-walker) - Oregon State University
+- **Bryan Weber** [@bryanwweber](https://github.com/bryanwweber)
+- **Armin Wehrfritz** [@awehrfritz](https://github.com/awehrfritz)
+- **Richard West** [@rwest](https://github.com/rwest) - Northeastern University
+- **Shumeng Xie** [@yeanment](https://github.com/yeanment) - National University of Singapore
+- **Chao Xu** [@12Chao](https://github.com/12Chao) - Northeastern University
+- **Thorsten Zirwes** [@g3bk47](https://github.com/g3bk47) - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 9688635ddd..24300b8b90 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ provide a starting point for contributing code to Cantera.
     and selecting "Settings". Then, select the "Emails" section from the list on the
     left of the page.
 * If you have made a significant contribution (more than just fixing a typo), please add
-  your name, GitHub handle, and institutional affiliation (if desired) to the `AUTHORS`
-  file as part of your pull request.
+  your name, GitHub handle, and institutional affiliation (if desired) to the
+  [Cantera authors](https://github.com/Cantera/cantera/blob/main/AUTHORS.md) file
+  `AUTHORS.md` as part of your pull request.
 * Do not add any author acknowledgements to individual files.
 
 ## Git Workflow
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 2613beada4..fd470bfde8 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ from copy import deepcopy
 from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
 from packaging.version import parse as parse_version
 import SCons
+from SCons.Variables.BoolVariable import _text2bool as text2bool
 
 from buildutils import (Option, PathOption, BoolOption, EnumOption, Configuration,
                         logger, remove_directory, remove_file, test_results,
@@ -789,7 +790,7 @@ if "help" in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
 
         sys.exit(0)
 
-if "sphinx" in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
+if "sphinx" in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS or text2bool(ARGUMENTS.get("sphinx_docs", "n")):
     # need to buffer all options before system-dependent selections are applied
     windows_options_full = deepcopy(windows_options)
     config_options_full = deepcopy(config_options)