diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 03e96705..51288e7f 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ test/pacman/tests/Makefile
 test/scripts/Makefile
 test/util/Makefile
 contrib/Makefile
+contrib/doc/Makefile
 Makefile
 ])
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/contrib/Makefile.am b/contrib/Makefile.am
index e34b43e2..897cd856 100644
--- a/contrib/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # enforce that all scripts have a --help and --version option
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = std-options
+SUBDIRS=
+if WANT_DOC
+SUBDIRS += doc
+endif
+
+DIST_SUBDIRS = $(SUBDIRS)
 
 bin_SCRIPTS = \
   $(OURSCRIPTS)
diff --git a/contrib/doc/Makefile.am b/contrib/doc/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6417ac5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# We have to do some funny stuff here with the manpages. In order to ensure
+# a dist tarball doesn't get put out there without manpages, we keep those
+# files listed in EXTRA_DIST no matter what. However, we only add them to
+# man_MANS if --enable-asciidoc and/or --enable-doxygen are used.
+
+ASCIIDOC_MANS =
+
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+	asciidoc.conf \
+	footer.txt \
+	$(ASCIIDOC_MANS)
+
+# Files that should be removed, but which Automake does not know.
+MOSTLYCLEANFILES = *.xml $(ASCIIDOC_MANS)
+
+# Ensure manpages are fresh when building a dist tarball
+dist-hook:
+	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) clean
+	$(MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) all
+
+if USE_GIT_VERSION
+GIT_VERSION := $(shell sh -c 'git describe --abbrev=4 --dirty | sed s/^v//')
+REAL_PACKAGE_VERSION = $(GIT_VERSION)
+else
+REAL_PACKAGE_VERSION = $(PACKAGE_VERSION)
+endif
+
+man_MANS =
+dist_man_MANS = $(ASCIIDOC_MANS)
+
+pkgdatadir = ${datadir}/${PACKAGE}
+
+ASCIIDOC_OPTS = \
+	-f $(srcdir)/asciidoc.conf \
+	-a pacman_version="$(REAL_PACKAGE_VERSION)" \
+	-a pacman_date="`date +%Y-%m-%d`" \
+	-a pkgdatadir=$(pkgdatadir) \
+	-a localstatedir=$(localstatedir) \
+	-a sysconfdir=$(sysconfdir) \
+	-a datarootdir=$(datarootdir)
+
+A2X_OPTS = \
+	--no-xmllint \
+	-d manpage \
+	-f manpage \
+	--xsltproc-opts='-param man.endnotes.list.enabled 0 -param man.endnotes.are.numbered 0'
+
+# These rules are due to the includes and files of the asciidoc text
+$(ASCIIDOC_MANS): asciidoc.conf footer.txt Makefile.am
+	$(AM_V_GEN)a2x $(A2X_OPTS) --asciidoc-opts="$(ASCIIDOC_OPTS) --out-file=./$@" $(srcdir)/$@.txt
+
+# Dependency rules
+
+# vim:set noet:
diff --git a/contrib/doc/asciidoc.conf b/contrib/doc/asciidoc.conf
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..ff9653d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/doc/asciidoc.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../doc/asciidoc.conf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/contrib/doc/footer.txt b/contrib/doc/footer.txt
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..9dd4bae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/doc/footer.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../doc/footer.txt
\ No newline at end of file