diff --git a/docs/Makefile.am b/docs/Makefile.am
index 7da7c0dea..16836c650 100644
--- a/docs/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/Makefile.am
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign no-dependencies
 
-man_MANS = curl.1 curl-config.1
+man_MANS = $(abs_builddir)/curl.1 curl-config.1
 noinst_man_MANS = mk-ca-bundle.1
 GENHTMLPAGES = curl.html curl-config.html mk-ca-bundle.html
 PDFPAGES = curl.pdf curl-config.pdf mk-ca-bundle.pdf
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ MANDISTPAGES = curl.1.dist curl-config.1.dist
 
 HTMLPAGES = $(GENHTMLPAGES) index.html
 
-SUBDIRS = libcurl cmdline-opts
+# Build targets in this file (.) before cmdline-opts to ensure that
+# the curl.1 rule below runs first
+SUBDIRS = libcurl . cmdline-opts
 DIST_SUBDIRS = $(SUBDIRS) examples
 
 CLEANFILES = $(GENHTMLPAGES) $(PDFPAGES) $(MANDISTPAGES) curl.1
@@ -47,7 +49,17 @@ MAN2HTML= roffit $< >$@
 
 SUFFIXES = .1 .html .pdf
 
-curl.1:
+# $(abs_builddir) is to disable VPATH when searching for this file, which
+# would otherwise find the copy in $(srcdir) which breaks the $(HUGE)
+# rule in src/Makefile.am in out-of-tree builds that references the file in the
+# build directory.
+#
+# First, seed the used copy of curl.1 with the prebuilt copy (in an out-of-tree
+# build), then run make recursively to rebuild it only if its dependencies
+# have changed.
+$(abs_builddir)/curl.1:
+	if test "$(top_builddir)x" != "$(top_srcdir)x" -a -e "$(srcdir)/curl.1"; then \
+		cp -fp "$(srcdir)/curl.1" $@; fi
 	cd cmdline-opts && $(MAKE)
 
 html: $(HTMLPAGES)
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index b59fb8786..afc86f2e1 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = mkhelp.pl makefile.dj Makefile.b32		\
  macos/src/curl_GUSIConfig.cpp macos/src/macos_main.cpp makefile.amiga	\
  curl.rc Makefile.netware Makefile.inc Makefile.Watcom CMakeLists.txt
 
-MANPAGE=$(top_builddir)/docs/curl.1
+# Use absolute directory to disable VPATH
+MANPAGE=$(abs_top_builddir)/docs/curl.1
 README=$(top_srcdir)/docs/MANUAL
 MKHELP=$(top_srcdir)/src/mkhelp.pl
 HUGE=tool_hugehelp.c
@@ -101,25 +102,23 @@ if USE_MANUAL
 # Here are the stuff to create a built-in manual
 
 $(MANPAGE):
-	cd $(top_builddir)/docs && $(MAKE) curl.1
+	cd $(top_builddir)/docs && $(MAKE)
 
 if HAVE_LIBZ
 # This generates the tool_hugehelp.c file in both uncompressed and
-# compressed formats. $(MANPAGE) must be the first dependency so it
-# can be referenced with $< which points to the correct location in
-# the VPATH.
+# compressed formats.
 $(HUGE): $(MANPAGE) $(README) $(MKHELP)
 	echo '#include "tool_setup.h"' > $(HUGE)
 	echo '#ifndef HAVE_LIBZ' >> $(HUGE)
-	$(NROFF) $< | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) $(README) >> $(HUGE)
+	$(NROFF) $(MANPAGE) | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) $(README) >> $(HUGE)
 	echo '#else' >> $(HUGE)
-	$(NROFF) $< | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) -c $(README) >> $(HUGE)
+	$(NROFF) $(MANPAGE) | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) -c $(README) >> $(HUGE)
 	echo '#endif /* HAVE_LIBZ */' >> $(HUGE)
 else # HAVE_LIBZ
 # This generates the tool_hugehelp.c file uncompressed only
 $(HUGE): $(MANPAGE) $(README) mkhelp.pl
 	echo '#include "tool_setup.h"' > $(HUGE)
-	$(NROFF) $< | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) $(README) >> $(HUGE)
+	$(NROFF) $(MANPAGE) | $(PERL) $(MKHELP) $(README) >> $(HUGE)
 endif
 
 else # USE_MANUAL