diff --git a/share/examples/etc/make.conf b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
index 6774debb019f..5a5293319761 100644
--- a/share/examples/etc/make.conf
+++ b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
 # If you do not want unformatted manual pages to be compressed
 # when they are installed:
 #
-#NO_MANCOMPRESS=
+#WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS=t
 #
 #
 # Default format for system documentation, depends on your printer.
diff --git a/share/man/man5/make.conf.5 b/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
index 7430a09164e4..2480b84d857e 100644
--- a/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
@@ -434,8 +434,11 @@ Set this to run
 .Dq Li "${MAKE} clean"
 instead of
 .Dq Li "${MAKE} cleandir" .
-.It Va NO_MANCOMPRESS
-.Pq Vt bool
+.It Va WITH_MANCOMPRESS
+.Pq Vt defined
+Set to install manual pages compressed.
+.It Va WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS
+.Pq Vt defined
 Set to install manual pages uncompressed.
 .It Va NO_SHARE
 .Pq Vt bool
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.man.mk b/share/mk/bsd.man.mk
index 6445ba3f32a7..7c1448b1abeb 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.man.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.man.mk
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@
 #		second, and there may be multiple pairs. The files
 #		are hard-linked.
 #
-# NO_MANCOMPRESS	If you do not want unformatted manual pages to be
-#		compressed when they are installed. [not set]
-#
 # NO_MLINKS	If you do not want install manual page links. [not set]
 #
 # MANFILTER	command to pipe the raw man page through before compressing
@@ -77,10 +74,10 @@ MAN+=	${MAN${__sect}}
 _manpages:
 all-man: _manpages
 
-.if defined(NO_MANCOMPRESS)
+.if ${MK_MANCOMPRESS} != "no"
 
 # Make special arrangements to filter to a temporary file at build time
-# for NO_MANCOMPRESS.
+# for MK_MANCOMPRESS == no.
 .if defined(MANFILTER)
 FILTEXTENSION=		.filt
 .else
@@ -162,7 +159,7 @@ maninstall: _maninstall
 _maninstall:
 .if defined(MAN) && !empty(MAN)
 _maninstall: ${MAN}
-.if defined(NO_MANCOMPRESS)
+.if ${MK_MANCOMPRESS} == "no"
 .if defined(MANFILTER)
 .for __page in ${MAN}
 	${MINSTALL} ${__page:T:S/$/${FILTEXTENSION}/g} \
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 5088236177a8..2f69266e54e1 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     MAILWRAPPER \
     MAKE \
     MAN \
+    MANCOMPRESS \
     NCURSESW \
     NDIS \
     NETCAT \
@@ -458,11 +459,14 @@ MK_${var}:=	no
 # Supported NO_* options (if defined, MK_* will be forced to "no",
 # regardless of user's setting).
 #
+# These are transitional and will disappaer in the fullness of time.
+#
 .for var in \
     CTF \
     DEBUG_FILES \
     INSTALLLIB \
     MAN \
+    MANCOMPRESS \
     PROFILE
 .if defined(NO_${var})
 MK_${var}:=no