diff --git a/.github/actions/setup/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
index 0181bafaf..16871dc52 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup/action.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ runs:
           libxkbcommon-dev \
           libxkbcommon-x11-dev \
           ninja-build \
+          pandoc \
           python3-pip \
           python3-setuptools \
           python3-wheel \
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 98881b77e..adcda08c1 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -172,19 +172,52 @@ rofi_LDADD=\
 	$(LIBS)
 
 ##
-# Manpage
+# Manpages
 ##
+
+.PHONY: generate-manpage
+
+if FOUND_PANDOC
+
+generate-manpage: doc/rofi.1\
+	doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1\
+	doc/rofi-theme-selector.1\
+	doc/rofi-debugging.5\
+	doc/rofi-dmenu.5\
+	doc/rofi-keys.5\
+	doc/rofi-script.5\
+	doc/rofi-theme.5
+
+doc/rofi.1: doc/rofi.1.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1: doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-theme-selector.1: doc/rofi-theme-selector.1.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-debugging.5: doc/rofi-debugging.5.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-dmenu.5: doc/rofi-dmenu.5.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-keys.5: doc/rofi-keys.5.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-script.5: doc/rofi-script.5.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+doc/rofi-theme.5: doc/rofi-theme.5.markdown
+	pandoc --standalone --to=man --lua-filter=$(top_srcdir)/doc/man_filter.lua -f markdown-tex_math_dollars -o ./$@ ./$<
+
+endif
+
 dist_man1_MANS=\
 	doc/rofi.1\
-	doc/rofi-theme-selector.1\
-	doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1
+	doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1\
+	doc/rofi-theme-selector.1
 
 dist_man5_MANS=\
-	doc/rofi-theme.5\
 	doc/rofi-debugging.5\
-	doc/rofi-keys.5\
 	doc/rofi-dmenu.5\
-	doc/rofi-script.5
+	doc/rofi-keys.5\
+	doc/rofi-script.5\
+	doc/rofi-theme.5
 
 EXTRA_DIST += \
 	doc/rofi-theme.5.markdown \
@@ -254,19 +287,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST+=\
 	doc/default_configuration.rasi\
 	doc/default_theme.rasi\
 	Changelog
-##
-# Indent
-##
 
-generate-manpage: $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme-selector.1.markdown $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi.1.markdown $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme.5.markdown $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-script.5.markdown ${top_srcdir}/doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1.markdown ${top_srcdir}/doc/rofi-keys.5.markdown ${top_srcdir}/doc/rofi-dmenu.5.markdown $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-debugging.5.markdown
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi.1.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi.1
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme-selector.1.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme-selector.1
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme.5.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-theme.5
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-debugging.5.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-debugging.5
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-keys.5.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-keys.5
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-script.5.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-script.5
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-dmenu.5.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-dmenu.5
-	pandoc --standalone --to=man -f markdown-tedxt_math_dollars $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1.markdown -o $(top_srcdir)/doc/rofi-sensible-terminal.1
 
 ##
 # Rofi test program
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2b97e3662..f9ec4bf80 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -169,6 +169,15 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([check], AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-check], [Build with checks usin
 AS_IF([test "x${enable_check}" != "xno"], [ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([check],[check >= 0.11.0], [HAVE_CHECK=1]) ])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([USE_CHECK],  [test "x${enable_check}" != "xno" && test "$HAVE_CHECK" -eq 1])
 
+dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+dnl Build man pages
+dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([man], AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-man], [Build man pages (default: enabled)]))
+
+pandoc_min_version="2.17"
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_man" != "xno" ], [ AC_CHECK_PROG([pandoc], [pandoc >= ${pandoc_min_version}], [yes])])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([FOUND_PANDOC], [test "x$pandoc" = xyes])
+
 
 dnl ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 dnl Gets the resource compile tool path.
@@ -210,6 +219,11 @@ echo "Check based tests            Enabled"
 else
 echo "Check based tests            Disabled"
 fi
+if test "x${enable_man}" != "xno" && test "x$pandoc" = "xyes"; then
+echo "Build man pages              Enabled"
+else
+echo "Build man pages              Disabled"
+fi
 echo "-------------------------------------"
 echo "Now type 'make' to build"
 echo ""
diff --git a/doc/meson.build b/doc/meson.build
index 3d6919aef..17df2da65 100644
--- a/doc/meson.build
+++ b/doc/meson.build
@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
-pandoc = find_program('pandoc', required: false)
+man_files = [
+    'rofi.1',
+    'rofi-sensible-terminal.1',
+    'rofi-theme-selector.1',
+    'rofi-debugging.5',
+    'rofi-dmenu.5',
+    'rofi-keys.5',
+    'rofi-script.5',
+    'rofi-theme.5',
+]
+
+fs = import('fs')
+
+pandoc = find_program('pandoc', required: false, version: '>=2.17')
+
 if pandoc.found()
     man_targets = []
-    foreach f: [
-        'rofi.1',
-        'rofi-sensible-terminal.1',
-        'rofi-debugging.5',
-        'rofi-dmenu.5',
-        'rofi-keys.5',
-        'rofi-script.5',
-        'rofi-theme-selector.1',
-        'rofi-theme.5',
-    ]
+    cp_cmds = []
+    foreach f: man_files
         section_number = f.split('.')[1]
         install_dest = join_paths(get_option('prefix'), get_option('mandir'), 'man' + section_number)
 
@@ -26,7 +32,21 @@ if pandoc.found()
             build_by_default: true,
         )
     endforeach
+
     run_target('generate-manpage', command: ['true'], depends: man_targets)
+else
+    man_missing = false
+    foreach f: man_files
+        if not fs.is_file(f)
+            man_missing = true
+        endif
+    endforeach
+
+    if man_missing
+        warning('Man files cannot be generated and not present in source directory, they will not be installed')
+    else
+        install_man(man_files)
+    endif
 endif
 
 doxy_conf = configuration_data()
diff --git a/meson-dist-script b/meson-dist-script
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..05e126f06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson-dist-script
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -eu
+
+cd "${MESON_DIST_ROOT}"
+
+# deploy docs
+mkdir build
+meson setup build -Dprefix=/usr
+ninja -C build
+cp build/doc/*.1 doc
+cp build/doc/*.5 doc
+rm -rf build
+
+# configure script
+autoreconf -i
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d69cf6704..f5fc1ec04 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ add_project_arguments(
     language: 'c'
 )
 
+meson.add_dist_script('meson-dist-script')
+
 flags = [
     '-Wparentheses',
     '-Winline',