diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 34b49fa7..809197e8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	COPYING.LGPLv2.1 \
 	INSTALL.generic \
 	PACKAGERS \
+	build-aux/manconv.sh \
 	build-aux/version.sh
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
@@ -64,14 +65,15 @@ dist-hook:
 		$(MKDIR_P) "$$dest/pdf-a4" "$$dest/pdf-letter" "$$dest/txt" && \
 		for FILE in $(manfiles); do \
 			BASE=`basename $$FILE .1` && \
-			groff -man -t -Tps -P-pa4 < "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
-				| ps2pdf - - \
+			sh "$(srcdir)/build-aux/manconv.sh" pdf a4 \
+				< "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
 				> "$$dest/pdf-a4/$$BASE-a4.pdf" && \
-			groff -man -t -Tps -P-pletter < "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
-				| ps2pdf - - \
+			sh "$(srcdir)/build-aux/manconv.sh" pdf letter \
+				< "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
 				> "$$dest/pdf-letter/$$BASE-letter.pdf" && \
-			groff -man -t -Tascii < "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
-				| col -bx > "$$dest/txt/$$BASE.txt"; \
+			sh "$(srcdir)/build-aux/manconv.sh" ascii \
+				< "$(srcdir)/$$FILE" \
+				> "$$dest/txt/$$BASE.txt"; \
 		done; \
 	fi
 
diff --git a/build-aux/manconv.sh b/build-aux/manconv.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e53b0269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-aux/manconv.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+###############################################################################
+#
+# Wrapper for GNU groff to convert man pages to a few formats
+#
+# Usage: manconv.sh FORMAT [PAPER_SIZE] < in.1 > out.suffix
+#
+# FORMAT can be ascii, utf8, ps, or pdf. PAPER_SIZE can be anything that
+# groff accepts, e.g. a4 or letter. See groff_font(5). PAPER_SIZE defaults
+# to a4 and is used only when FORMAT is ps (PostScript) or pdf.
+#
+# Multiple man pages can be given at once e.g. to create a single PDF file
+# with continuous page numbering.
+#
+###############################################################################
+#
+# Author: Lasse Collin
+#
+# This file has been put into the public domain.
+# You can do whatever you want with this file.
+#
+###############################################################################
+
+FORMAT=$1
+PAPER=${2-a4}
+
+# Make PostScript and PDF output more readable:
+#   - Use 11 pt font instead of the default 10 pt.
+#   - Use larger paragraph spacing than the default 0.4v (man(7) only).
+FONT=11
+PD=0.8
+
+SED_PD="
+/^\\.TH /s/\$/\\
+.PD $PD/
+s/^\\.PD\$/.PD $PD/"
+
+case $FORMAT in
+	ascii)
+		groff -t -mandoc -Tascii | col -bx
+		;;
+	utf8)
+		groff -t -mandoc -Tutf8 | col -bx
+		;;
+	ps)
+		sed "$SED_PD" | groff -dpaper=$PAPER -t -mandoc \
+				-rC1 -rS$FONT -Tps -P-p$PAPER
+		;;
+	pdf)
+		sed "$SED_PD" | groff -dpaper=$PAPER -t -mandoc \
+				-rC1 -rS$FONT -Tps -P-p$PAPER | ps2pdf - -
+		;;
+	*)
+		echo 'Invalid arguments' >&2
+		exit 1
+		;;
+esac