diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9861b4aaf7..1ccd5e3439 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1885,8 +1885,12 @@
     AC_PATH_PROG(HAVE_SPHINXBUILD, sphinx-build, "no")
     if test "$HAVE_SPHINXBUILD" = "no"; then
        enable_sphinxbuild=no
+       if test -e "$srcdir/doc/userguide/suricata.1"; then
+           have_suricata_man=yes
+       fi
     fi
     AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_SPHINXBUILD], [test "x$enable_sphinxbuild" != "xno"])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_SURICATA_MAN], [test "x$have_suricata_man" = "xyes"])
 
 # get revision
     if test -f ./revision; then
diff --git a/doc/userguide/Makefile.am b/doc/userguide/Makefile.am
index 58df915a9d..8f64e9a154 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/userguide/Makefile.am
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	rules \
 	setting-up-ipsinline-for-linux
 
+if HAVE_SURICATA_MAN
+man1_MANS = suricata.1
+endif
+
 if HAVE_SPHINXBUILD
-man1_MANS = _build/man/suricata.1
+man1_MANS = suricata.1
+
+EXTRA_DIST += $(man1_MANS)
 
 SPHINX_BUILD = sphinx-build -q
 
@@ -48,8 +54,13 @@ _build/man/suricata.1:
 	version=$(PACKAGE_VERSION) \
 		$(SPHINX_BUILD) -b man -d _build/doctrees \
 		$(top_srcdir)/doc/userguide _build/man
+
 man: _build/man/suricata.1
 
+suricata.1: _build/man/suricata.1
+	cp _build/man/suricata.1 suricata.1
+
 clean-local:
 	rm -rf $(top_builddir)/doc/userguide/_build
+	rm -f $(top_builddir)/doc/userguide/suricata.1
 endif