diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221101-090129.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221101-090129.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..997d5b1e4ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20221101-090129.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Fix for docs generate with --defer
+time: 2022-11-01T09:01:29.321867282-07:00
+custom:
+  Author: seub
+  Issue: "6124"
+  PR: "6188"
diff --git a/core/dbt/task/runnable.py b/core/dbt/task/runnable.py
index f12ce94f830..02baf8c84ad 100644
--- a/core/dbt/task/runnable.py
+++ b/core/dbt/task/runnable.py
@@ -419,6 +419,7 @@ def before_hooks(self, adapter):
     def before_run(self, adapter, selected_uids: AbstractSet[str]):
         with adapter.connection_named("master"):
             self.populate_adapter_cache(adapter)
+            self.defer_to_manifest(adapter, selected_uids)
 
     def after_run(self, adapter, results):
         pass