diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index af0465fee..cba5048b1 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = src testing
+SUBDIRS = src man testing
 
 if USE_SCRIPTS
   SUBDIRS += scripts
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 0632027a4..77c22715e 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -920,6 +920,7 @@ dnl ==============================
 
 AC_OUTPUT(
 	Makefile
+	man/Makefile
 	src/Makefile
 	src/include/Makefile
 	src/libstrongswan/Makefile
diff --git a/man/.gitignore b/man/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf55e342f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+ipsec.conf.5
+ipsec.secrets.5
diff --git a/man/Makefile.am b/man/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f57f12477
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+dist_man_MANS = ipsec.conf.5 ipsec.secrets.5
+EXTRA_DIST = ipsec.conf.5.in ipsec.secrets.5.in
+CLEANFILES = ipsec.conf.5 ipsec.secrets.5
+
+SUFFIXES = .in
+
+.in:
+	sed \
+	-e "s:@IPSEC_VERSION@:$(PACKAGE_VERSION):" \
+	$(srcdir)/$@.in > $@
+
diff --git a/src/starter/ipsec.conf.5.in b/man/ipsec.conf.5.in
similarity index 100%
rename from src/starter/ipsec.conf.5.in
rename to man/ipsec.conf.5.in
diff --git a/src/pluto/ipsec.secrets.5.in b/man/ipsec.secrets.5.in
similarity index 100%
rename from src/pluto/ipsec.secrets.5.in
rename to man/ipsec.secrets.5.in
diff --git a/src/pluto/.gitignore b/src/pluto/.gitignore
index 7c2ab2ac9..8aa8745ed 100644
--- a/src/pluto/.gitignore
+++ b/src/pluto/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 pluto
 _pluto_adns
-ipsec.secrets.5
diff --git a/src/pluto/Makefile.am b/src/pluto/Makefile.am
index 40b1095d9..934b11a46 100644
--- a/src/pluto/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/pluto/Makefile.am
@@ -88,9 +88,7 @@ _pluto_adns_LDADD = \
 $(LIBFREESWANDIR)/libfreeswan.a \
 -lresolv $(DLLIB)
 
-CLEANFILES = ipsec.secrets.5
-dist_man_MANS = pluto.8 ipsec.secrets.5
-EXTRA_DIST = ipsec.secrets.5.in
+dist_man_MANS = pluto.8
 
 # compile options
 #################
@@ -137,8 +135,3 @@ if USE_XAUTH
   SUBDIRS += plugins/xauth
 endif
 
-ipsec.secrets.5 : ipsec.secrets.5.in
-	sed \
-	-e "s:@IPSEC_VERSION@:$(PACKAGE_VERSION):" \
-	$(srcdir)/$@.in > $@
-
diff --git a/src/starter/.gitignore b/src/starter/.gitignore
index 9b73f4c2d..c1900a30a 100644
--- a/src/starter/.gitignore
+++ b/src/starter/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 starter
 y.output
-ipsec.conf.5
diff --git a/src/starter/Makefile.am b/src/starter/Makefile.am
index 0bc7fb468..75297f767 100644
--- a/src/starter/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/starter/Makefile.am
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ AM_CFLAGS = \
 -DDEBUG
 
 starter_LDADD = defs.o $(top_builddir)/src/libfreeswan/libfreeswan.a $(top_builddir)/src/libstrongswan/libstrongswan.la $(SOCKLIB)
-EXTRA_DIST = parser.l parser.y keywords.txt ipsec.conf ipsec.conf.5.in
-dist_man_MANS = ipsec.conf.5 starter.8
-CLEANFILES = ipsec.conf.5
+EXTRA_DIST = parser.l parser.y keywords.txt ipsec.conf
+dist_man_MANS = starter.8
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = lex.yy.c y.tab.c y.tab.h keywords.c
 
 PLUTODIR=$(top_srcdir)/src/pluto
@@ -44,11 +43,6 @@ if USE_LOAD_WARNING
   AM_CFLAGS += -DLOAD_WARNING
 endif
 
-ipsec.conf.5:	ipsec.conf.5.in
-		sed \
-		-e "s:@IPSEC_VERSION@:$(PACKAGE_VERSION):" \
-		$(srcdir)/$@.in > $@
-
 lex.yy.c:	$(srcdir)/parser.l $(srcdir)/parser.y $(srcdir)/parser.h y.tab.h
 		$(LEX) $(srcdir)/parser.l