diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4dc43ec9..4a106413 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 VERSION=$(shell git describe --abbrev=8 --dirty 2>/dev/null || echo 0.11.3)
 WADS=wads
+ASCIIDOC=asciidoc
+ASCIIDOC_MAN=a2x -f manpage
 CPP=scripts/simplecpp
 DEUTEX=deutex
 DEUTEX_BASIC_ARGS=-v0 -rate accept
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ $(FREEDOOM2): wadinfo_phase2.txt subdirs
 	$(DEUTEX) $(DEUTEX_ARGS) -iwad -build wadinfo_phase2.txt $@
 
 %.html: %.adoc
-	TZ=UTC asciidoc $<
+	TZ=UTC $(ASCIIDOC) $<
 
 doc: $(patsubst %.adoc,%.html,$(wildcard *.adoc))
 
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ fix-map-names:
 	scripts/fix-map-names levels
 
 %.6:
-	$(MAKE) -C dist $@
+	$(MAKE) ASCIIDOC_MAN="$(ASCIIDOC_MAN)" -C dist $@
 
 %.png:
 	$(MAKE) -C dist $@
diff --git a/dist/Makefile b/dist/Makefile
index 3906d1a8..a0ead157 100644
--- a/dist/Makefile
+++ b/dist/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
+ASCIIDOC_MAN=a2x -f manpage
 .SUFFIXES: .adoc .6
 
 all: freedm.6 freedoom1.6 freedoom2.6 freedm.png freedoom1.png freedoom2.png
 
 %.6: freedoom.adoc
 	sed -e s/freedoom/$*/ $< > $*.adoc
-	a2x -f manpage $*.adoc
+	$(ASCIIDOC_MAN) $*.adoc
 
 freedm.png: ../graphics/titlepic/freedm_title2.png
 	./pillow-resize $< $@ 64 64
diff --git a/dist/freedoom.adoc b/dist/freedoom.adoc
index 8d378244..6b1e5553 100644
--- a/dist/freedoom.adoc
+++ b/dist/freedoom.adoc
@@ -1,17 +1,13 @@
-freedoom(6)
-===========
+= freedoom(6)
 :doctype: manpage
 
-NAME
-----
+== NAME
 freedoom - Automatically launch Freedoom with an engine
 
-SYNOPSIS
---------
+== SYNOPSIS
 *freedoom* [_-p_ _DOOMPORT_|_--_] [_ARGS_]
 
-DESCRIPTION
------------
+== DESCRIPTION
 Freedoom is a project to create a complete free-content game based on
 the _Doom_ engine (often called “source ports” or simply “ports”),
 which itself is free software.  In addition, it maintains
@@ -36,8 +32,7 @@ as the first option, will be passed to the engine being called.  This
 can allow you to use options such as _-file_ to load mods or anything
 else available with the engine of choice.
 
-COPYRIGHT
----------
+== COPYRIGHT
 Freedoom is licensed under a permissive three-clause BSD license.  For
 details, see the source tree or the +COPYING+/+COPYRIGHT+ file that
 was installed by distribution packaging.