diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 71b3ca471..4c913ff86 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ gst_req = '>= 0.11.92'
 nm_req = '>= 1.10.4'
 secret_req = '>= 0.18'
 
+fs = import('fs')
 gnome = import('gnome')
 i18n  = import('i18n')
 
@@ -126,8 +127,12 @@ else
 endif
 
 if get_option('man')
-  a2x = find_program('a2x')
-  subdir('man')
+  if fs.exists('man/gnome-shell.1')
+    install_man('man/gnome-shell.1')
+  else
+    a2x = find_program('a2x')
+    subdir('man')
+  endif
 endif
 
 mutter_typelibdir = mutter_dep.get_pkgconfig_variable('typelibdir')
@@ -287,6 +292,7 @@ if get_option('gtk_doc')
 endif
 
 meson.add_install_script('meson/postinstall.py')
+meson.add_dist_script('meson/generate-manpages.py')
 
 summary_options = {
   'networkmanager': get_option('networkmanager'),
diff --git a/meson/generate-manpages.py b/meson/generate-manpages.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ce2ca2828
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson/generate-manpages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os
+from pathlib import PurePath
+from asciidocapi import AsciiDocAPI
+
+man_pages = [
+    'man/gnome-shell.1',
+    'subprojects/extensions-tool/man/gnome-extensions.1',
+]
+
+sourceroot = os.environ.get('MESON_SOURCE_ROOT')
+distroot = os.environ.get('MESON_DIST_ROOT')
+
+asciidoc = AsciiDocAPI()
+
+for man_page in man_pages:
+    page_path = PurePath(man_page)
+    src = PurePath(sourceroot, page_path.with_suffix('.txt'))
+    dst = PurePath(distroot, page_path)
+    stylesheet = src.with_name('stylesheet.xsl')
+
+    asciidoc.options('--xsl-file', os.fspath(stylesheet))
+    asciidoc.execute(os.fspath(src), outfile=os.fspath(dst))
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
index 5460f626d..18a38a023 100644
--- a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ project('gnome-extensions-tool', 'c',
 
 gio_req = '>= 2.56.0'
 
+fs = import('fs')
 gnome = import('gnome')
 i18n  = import('i18n')
 
@@ -46,9 +47,12 @@ if bash_completion.found()
 endif
 
 if get_option('man')
-  a2x = find_program('a2x')
-
-  subdir('man')
+  if fs.exists('man/gnome-extensions.1')
+    install_man('man/gnome-extensions.1')
+  else
+    a2x = find_program('a2x')
+    subdir('man')
+  endif
 endif
 
 if not meson.is_subproject()