diff --git a/docs/man/meson.build b/docs/man/meson.build
index dc4297d4e..b03c2b5f8 100644
--- a/docs/man/meson.build
+++ b/docs/man/meson.build
@@ -2,20 +2,20 @@ docbook2man = find_program('docbook2man', required : false)
 if docbook2man.found()
   custom_target('fwupdmgr-man',
     input : 'fwupdmgr.sgml',
-    output : 'fwupdmgr.1.gz',
+    output : 'fwupdmgr.1',
     command : [
       docbook2man, '@INPUT@',
-      '--output', '@OUTPUT@',
+      '--output', meson.current_build_dir(),
     ],
     install : true,
     install_dir : join_paths(get_option('mandir'), 'man1'),
   )
   custom_target('dfu-tool-man',
     input : 'dfu-tool.sgml',
-    output : 'dfu-tool.1.gz',
+    output : 'dfu-tool.1',
     command : [
       docbook2man, '@INPUT@',
-      '--output', '@OUTPUT@',
+      '--output', meson.current_build_dir(),
     ],
     install : true,
     install_dir : join_paths(get_option('mandir'), 'man1'),