diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 63d7956..ee0a1e2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 NULL =
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
-SUBDIRS = python_modules common tests
+SUBDIRS = python_modules common tests docs
 
 EXTRA_DIST =				\
 	spice_codegen.py		\
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c3ad5a4..6d9f378 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([1.11 dist-xz no-dist-gzip tar-ustar foreign -Wall -Werror])
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE
 AM_SILENT_RULES([yes])
 LT_INIT
+SPICE_MANUAL
 
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CC_C99
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES([
   common/Makefile
   python_modules/Makefile
   tests/Makefile
+  docs/Makefile
 ])
 
 AH_BOTTOM([
diff --git a/docs/Makefile.am b/docs/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b09b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+NULL =
+ASCIIDOC_FLAGS = -a icons -a toc
+
+EXTRA_DIST =					\
+	spice_protocol.html			\
+	spice_protocol.txt			\
+	$(NULL)
+
+if BUILD_HTML_MANUAL
+all-local: spice_protocol.html
+
+spice_protocol.html: spice_protocol.txt
+	$(AM_V_GEN) $(ASCIIDOC) -n $(ASCIIDOC_FLAGS) -o $@ $<
+endif
+
+clean-local:
+	rm -f spice_protocol.html
diff --git a/docs/spice_protocol.txt b/docs/spice_protocol.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b62da25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/spice_protocol.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Spice protocol format file
+==========================
diff --git a/m4/spice_manual.m4 b/m4/spice_manual.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c36f6f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/spice_manual.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+dnl SPICE_MANUAL
+dnl ------------
+dnl Check if user wants manuals to be compiled and
+dnl if all programs (asciidoc and a2x) are available
+dnl ------------
+dnl Shell defines:
+dnl - have_asciidoc yes or not is asciidoc program is available
+dnl Automake macros:
+dnl - A2X a2x program or empty
+dnl - ASCIIDOC asciidoc program or emtpy
+dnl - BUILD_MANUAL if asciidoc and a2x are available
+dnl - BUILD_HTML_MANUAL if asciidoc is available (html can be produced)
+dnl - BUILD_CHUNKED_MANUAL if a2x is available
+AC_DEFUN([SPICE_MANUAL],[
+    AC_ARG_ENABLE([manual],
+                   AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-manual=@<:@auto/yes/no@:>@],
+                                  [Build SPICE manual]),
+                   [],
+                   [enable_manual="auto"])
+    if test "x$enable_manual" != "xno"; then
+        AC_PATH_PROG([ASCIIDOC], [asciidoc])
+        AS_IF([test -z "$ASCIIDOC" && test "x$enable_manual" = "xyes"],
+              [AC_MSG_ERROR([asciidoc is missing and build of manual was requested])])
+        AC_PATH_PROG([A2X], [a2x])
+        AS_IF([test -z "$A2X" && test "x$enable_manual" = "xyes"],
+              [AC_MSG_ERROR([a2x is missing and build of manual was requested])])
+    fi
+    AS_IF([test -n "$ASCIIDOC"], [have_asciidoc=yes], [have_asciidoc=no])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_MANUAL], [test -n "$ASCIIDOC" || test -n "$A2X"])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_HTML_MANUAL], [test -n "$ASCIIDOC"])
+    AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_CHUNKED_MANUAL], [test -n "$A2X"])
+])