diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
index d43acfcdf..5beb3f9a0 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
@@ -115,11 +115,14 @@ Guidebook.dat	: Gbk-1pg-pfx.mn Gbk-1pg-sfx.mn $(GUIDEBOOK_MN) tmac.n tmac.nh \
 	$(ONEPAGECMD) > $@
 
 # plain text output
-# MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS is included so that a hints file can alter the options
-MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man $(MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS)
+#
+# MAN2TXTPRE and MAN2TXTPOST are included so that a hints file can alter
+# both of them as required
+MAN2TXTPOST ?= | col -b
+MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man $(MAN2TXTPRE) $(MAN2TXTPOST)
 # If you aren't using a hints file, you can uncomment the following
 # line if you have groff 1.23 or greater.
-#MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man -Tascii -P -cbou
+#MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | groff -man -Tascii -P -cbou
 nethack.txt	: nethack.6
 	cat nethack.6 | $(MAN2TXT) > nethack.txt
 recover.txt	: recover.6
diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370 b/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370
index 973473444..1fc313a8a 100644
--- a/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370
@@ -75,14 +75,16 @@ endif  # NROFFISGROFF
 
 ifneq "$(NROFFISGROFF)" ""   # It's groff
 # add the -Tascii flag used by groff
-MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -Tascii
+MAN2TXTPRE += -Tascii
 ifneq "$(GROFFGE123)" ""   # It's groff 1.23 or greater
 #$(info GROFFGE123=$(GROFFGE123))
 # add the groff 1.23 specific plain text flag -P
-MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -P
+MAN2TXTPRE += -P -cbou
+MAN2TXTPOST=
+else
+MAN2TXTPRE += -c
+# groff less than 1.23
 endif
-# add more plain text flags used by groff
-MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -cbou
 endif  # end groff-specific
 
 #end of hints/include/misc.370