diff --git a/share/examples/etc/make.conf b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
index 5a5293319761..6774debb019f 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:
 #
-#WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS=t
+#NO_MANCOMPRESS=
 #
 #
 # 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 2480b84d857e..7430a09164e4 100644
--- a/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/make.conf.5
@@ -434,11 +434,8 @@ Set this to run
 .Dq Li "${MAKE} clean"
 instead of
 .Dq Li "${MAKE} cleandir" .
-.It Va WITH_MANCOMPRESS
-.Pq Vt defined
-Set to install manual pages compressed.
-.It Va WITHOUT_MANCOMPRESS
-.Pq Vt defined
+.It Va NO_MANCOMPRESS
+.Pq Vt bool
 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 7c1448b1abeb..6445ba3f32a7 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.man.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.man.mk
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #		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
@@ -74,10 +77,10 @@ MAN+=	${MAN${__sect}}
 _manpages:
 all-man: _manpages
 
-.if ${MK_MANCOMPRESS} != "no"
+.if defined(NO_MANCOMPRESS)
 
 # Make special arrangements to filter to a temporary file at build time
-# for MK_MANCOMPRESS == no.
+# for NO_MANCOMPRESS.
 .if defined(MANFILTER)
 FILTEXTENSION=		.filt
 .else
@@ -159,7 +162,7 @@ maninstall: _maninstall
 _maninstall:
 .if defined(MAN) && !empty(MAN)
 _maninstall: ${MAN}
-.if ${MK_MANCOMPRESS} == "no"
+.if defined(NO_MANCOMPRESS)
 .if defined(MANFILTER)
 .for __page in ${MAN}
 	${MINSTALL} ${__page:T:S/$/${FILTEXTENSION}/g} \
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 2f69266e54e1..5088236177a8 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -301,7 +301,6 @@ __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     MAILWRAPPER \
     MAKE \
     MAN \
-    MANCOMPRESS \
     NCURSESW \
     NDIS \
     NETCAT \
@@ -459,14 +458,11 @@ MK_${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