diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6c056cff7..26065b15d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1639,6 +1639,8 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	src/pki/man/pki---signcrl.1
 	src/pki/man/pki---acert.1
 	src/pki/man/pki---verify.1
+	src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.head
+	src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.tail
 ])
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/src/swanctl/.gitignore b/src/swanctl/.gitignore
index a37446ed5..b92b5029c 100644
--- a/src/swanctl/.gitignore
+++ b/src/swanctl/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
 swanctl
 swanctl.conf
+swanctl.conf.5
+swanctl.conf.5.main
+swanctl.conf.5.head
+swanctl.conf.5.tail
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/swanctl/Makefile.am b/src/swanctl/Makefile.am
index f899c97f4..a232487aa 100644
--- a/src/swanctl/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/swanctl/Makefile.am
@@ -29,8 +29,12 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-DSWANCTLDIR=\""${swanctldir}\"" \
 	-DPLUGINS=\""${s_plugins}\""
 
+man_MANS = \
+	swanctl.conf.5
+
 BUILT_SOURCES = swanctl.conf swanctl.conf.5.main
 EXTRA_DIST = swanctl.opt swanctl.conf swanctl.conf.5.main
+CLEANFILES = $(man_MANS)
 
 .opt.conf:
 	$(AM_V_GEN) \
@@ -40,6 +44,10 @@ swanctl.conf.5.main: swanctl.opt
 	$(AM_V_GEN) \
 	$(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/conf/format-options.py -f man $< > $(srcdir)/$@
 
+swanctl.conf.5: swanctl.conf.5.head swanctl.conf.5.main swanctl.conf.5.tail
+	$(AM_V_GEN) \
+	cat swanctl.conf.5.head $(srcdir)/swanctl.conf.5.main swanctl.conf.5.tail > $@
+
 maintainer-clean-local:
 	cd $(srcdir) && rm -f swanctl.conf swanctl.conf.5.main
 
diff --git a/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.head.in b/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.head.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..070c858be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.head.in
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+.TH SWANCTL.CONF 5 "" "@PACKAGE_VERSION@" "strongSwan"
+.SH NAME
+swanctl.conf \- swanctl configuration file
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+Bla bla
+
+For a description of the syntax refer to
+.BR strongswan.conf (5).
+
+.SH SETTINGS
+The following settings can be used to configure IKE and CHILD SAs and
+credentials.
diff --git a/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.tail.in b/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.tail.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d24608da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/swanctl/swanctl.conf.5.tail.in
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+.SH FILES
+.
+.nf
+.na
+/etc/swanctl/swanctl.conf       configuration file
+.ad
+.fi
+.
+.SH SEE ALSO
+.BR swanctl (8)