diff --git a/lisp/man.el b/lisp/man.el
index 1a6eda13b7..fcf9085d20 100644
--- a/lisp/man.el
+++ b/lisp/man.el
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ Man-width
 The value also can be a positive integer for a fixed width."
   :type '(choice (const :tag "Window width" nil)
                  (const :tag "Frame width" t)
+                 (cons :tag "Maximum width" (const :value max) (integer :value 80))
                  (integer :tag "Fixed width" :value 65))
   :group 'man)
 
@@ -1045,16 +1046,20 @@ Man-start-calling
 			 (cond
 			  ((and (integerp Man-width) (> Man-width 0))
 			   Man-width)
-			  (Man-width
+			  ((eq Man-width t)
 			   (if (window-live-p (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t))
 			       (with-selected-window (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t)
 				 (frame-width))
 			     (frame-width)))
 			  (t
-			   (if (window-live-p (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t))
-			       (with-selected-window (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t)
-				 (window-width))
-			     (window-width)))))))
+			   (let ((width
+				  (if (window-live-p (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t))
+				      (with-selected-window (get-buffer-window (current-buffer) t)
+					(window-width))
+				    (window-width))))
+			     (if (eq (car-safe Man-width) 'max)
+				 (min width (cdr Man-width))
+			       width)))))))
     ;; Since man-db 2.4.3-1, man writes plain text with no escape
     ;; sequences when stdout is not a tty.	In 2.5.0, the following
     ;; env-var was added to allow control of this (see Debian Bug#340673).