diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index 4c4fdf601ce0..354ac308c833 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ BSARGS= 	DESTDIR= \
 		BOOTSTRAPPING=${BOOTSTRAPPING_OSRELDATE} \
 		BWPHASE=${.TARGET:C,^_,,} \
 		SSP_CFLAGS= \
-		MK_HTML=no NO_LINT=yes MK_MAN=no \
+		MK_HTML=no NO_LINT=yes MK_MAN=no MK_MAN_UTILS=yes \
 		-DNO_PIC MK_PROFILE=no -DNO_SHARED \
 		-DNO_CPU_CFLAGS MK_WARNS=no MK_CTF=no \
 		MK_CLANG_EXTRAS=no MK_CLANG_FORMAT=no MK_CLANG_FULL=no \
diff --git a/usr.bin/mandoc/Makefile b/usr.bin/mandoc/Makefile
index ec35ec21d0f8..55e13fa6485e 100644
--- a/usr.bin/mandoc/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/mandoc/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ MLINKS+=	apropos.1 whatis.1
 LINKS=	${BINDIR}/mandoc ${BINDIR}/whatis \
 	${BINDIR}/mandoc ${BINDIR}/makewhatis \
 	${BINDIR}/mandoc ${BINDIR}/apropos
+.elif defined(BOOTSTRAPPING)
+.error "MK_MAN_UTILS should be set to yes when bootstrapping"
 .endif
 
 LIBMAN_SRCS=	man.c \