diff --git a/sys/unix/hints/linux.370 b/sys/unix/hints/linux.370
index 301aee237..922f7a5bf 100755
--- a/sys/unix/hints/linux.370
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/linux.370
@@ -337,8 +337,18 @@ VARDIRPERM = 0755
 VARFILEPERM = 0600
 GAMEPERM = 0755
 
-# suppress several hundred warnings with recent *roff
+# suppress several hundred warnings with groff 1.23
+#detection of groff
+NROFFISGROFF := $(shell echo `nroff --version | grep "GNU groff version"`)
+#$(info NROFFISGROFF=$(NROFFISGROFF))
+ifneq "$(NROFFISGROFF)" ""
+# get the version of groff
+GROFFGE123 := $(shell expr `echo $(NROFFISGROFF) | cut -f2 -d.` \>= 23)
+#$(info GROFFGE123=$(GROFFGE123))
+ifeq "$(GROFFGE123)" "1"
 NROFF_FLAGS = -W font
+endif
+endif  # NROFFISGROFF
 
 #
 #-INCLUDE cross-pre.370