diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f61c04c..0bd9144 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@ AC_CACHE_SAVE
 
 m4_include([config-daemon.ac])
 
+dnl Are we building from git checked-out sources, or a tarball ?  This allows
+dnl specifying some rules used only when bootstrapping.
+AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_FROM_GIT], [test -d "$srcdir/.git"])
+
 dnl `dot' (from the Graphviz package) is only needed for maintainers.
 dnl See `Building from Git' in the manual for more info.
 AM_MISSING_PROG([DOT], [dot])
diff --git a/doc.am b/doc.am
index f15efcc..9214405 100644
--- a/doc.am
+++ b/doc.am
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Copyright © 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
 # Copyright © 2013 Andreas Enge <andreas@enge.fr>
 # Copyright © 2016 Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer <taylanbayirli@gmail.com>
+# Copyright © 2016 Mathieu Lirzin <mthl@gnu.org>
 #
 # This file is part of GNU Guix.
 #
@@ -91,55 +92,50 @@ ps-local: $(DOT_FILES=%.dot=$(top_srcdir)/%.eps)		\
 	  $(top_srcdir)/doc/images/coreutils-size-map.eps
 dvi-local: ps-local
 
-
-# Manual pages.
-
-doc/guix.1: $(SUBCOMMANDS:%=guix/scripts/%.scm)
-	-LANGUAGE= $(top_builddir)/pre-inst-env	\
-	  $(HELP2MAN) --output="$@" guix
-
-# Note: Do not depend on 'guix-daemon' since that would trigger a rebuild even
-# for people building from a tarball.
-doc/guix-daemon.1: nix/nix-daemon/guix-daemon.cc
-	-LANGUAGE= $(top_builddir)/pre-inst-env	\
-	  $(HELP2MAN) --output="$@" guix-daemon
-
-define subcommand-manual-target
-
-doc/guix-$(1).1: guix/scripts/$(1).scm
-	-LANGUAGE= $(top_builddir)/pre-inst-env		\
-	  $(HELP2MAN) --output="$$@" "guix $(1)"
-
-endef
-
-SUBCOMMANDS :=					\
-  archive					\
-  build						\
-  challenge					\
-  download					\
-  edit						\
-  environment					\
-  gc						\
-  hash						\
-  import					\
-  lint						\
-  package					\
-  publish					\
-  pull						\
-  refresh					\
-  size						\
-  system
-
-$(eval $(foreach subcommand,$(SUBCOMMANDS),			\
-          $(call subcommand-manual-target,$(subcommand))))
-
-dist_man1_MANS =				\
-  doc/guix.1					\
-  $(SUBCOMMANDS:%=doc/guix-%.1)
+## ------------ ##
+##  Man pages.  ##
+## ------------ ##
+
+# The man pages are generated using 'help2man'.
+dist_man1_MANS = 			\
+  doc/guix.1				\
+  doc/guix-archive.1			\
+  doc/guix-build.1			\
+  doc/guix-challenge.1			\
+  doc/guix-download.1			\
+  doc/guix-edit.1			\
+  doc/guix-environment.1		\
+  doc/guix-gc.1				\
+  doc/guix-hash.1			\
+  doc/guix-import.1			\
+  doc/guix-lint.1			\
+  doc/guix-package.1			\
+  doc/guix-publish.1			\
+  doc/guix-pull.1			\
+  doc/guix-refresh.1			\
+  doc/guix-size.1			\
+  doc/guix-system.1
 
 if BUILD_DAEMON
+dist_man1_MANS += doc/guix-daemon.1
+endif
+
+# Avoid re-generating the man pages when building from tarballs.
+if BUILD_FROM_GIT
+
+gen_man = LANGUAGE= $(top_builddir)/pre-inst-env $(HELP2MAN)
+
+doc/guix.1: scripts/guix
+	  $(gen_man) --output="$@" `basename $<`
 
-dist_man1_MANS +=				\
-  doc/guix-daemon.1
+doc/guix-%.1: guix/scripts/%.go
+	  $(gen_man) --output="$@"  "guix `basename $< .go`"
 
+if BUILD_DAEMON
+doc/guix-daemon.1: guix-daemon
+	  $(gen_man) --output="$@" "$<"
 endif
+
+CLEANFILES += $(dist_man1_MANS)
+
+endif BUILD_FROM_GIT