diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6bc00c1b..5691a733 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -595,8 +595,12 @@ SED_PROCESS = $(AM_V_GEN)$(MKDIR_P) $(dir $@) && $(SED) \
 		-e 's,@libexecdir\@,$(libexecdir),g' \
 		< $< > $@
 
+if RUN_RST2MAN
 RST2MAN_PROCESS = $(AM_V_GEN)$(RST2MAN) --strict --no-raw --no-generator \
 			--no-datestamp < $< > $@
+else
+RST2MAN_PROCESS = $(AM_V_GEN)touch $@
+endif
 
 %.service: %.service.in Makefile
 	$(SED_PROCESS)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d2b95eb4..db225597 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -191,11 +191,8 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([manual-pages], AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-manual-pages],
 				[don't install manual pages]),
 					[enable_manual_pages=${enableval}])
 if (test "${enable_manual_pages}" != "no"); then
-	AC_CHECK_PROGS(RST2MAN, [rst2man rst2man-3 rst2man.py], "no")
-	if (test "x$RST2MAN" = "xno"); then
-		AC_MSG_WARN([rst2man required for building manual pages])
-		enable_manual_pages="no"
-	fi
+	AC_CHECK_PROGS(RST2MAN, [rst2man rst2man.py], "no")
+	AM_CONDITIONAL(RUN_RST2MAN, test "${RST2MAN}" != "no")
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(MANUAL_PAGES, test "${enable_manual_pages}" != "no")