diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
index 5ea70b434..d43acfcdf 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
@@ -115,8 +115,11 @@ Guidebook.dat	: Gbk-1pg-pfx.mn Gbk-1pg-sfx.mn $(GUIDEBOOK_MN) tmac.n tmac.nh \
 	$(ONEPAGECMD) > $@
 
 # plain text output
-#MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man $(MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS) - | $(COLCMD)
-MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man $(MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS) -
+# MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS is included so that a hints file can alter the options
+MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man $(MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS)
+# 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
 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 eea26d2ba..973473444 100644
--- a/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370
+++ b/sys/unix/hints/include/misc.370
@@ -69,20 +69,21 @@ endif
 NROFFISGROFF := $(shell echo `nroff --version | grep "GNU groff version"`)
 #$(info NROFFISGROFF=$(NROFFISGROFF))
 ifneq "$(NROFFISGROFF)" ""
-# --- version check is not currently needed ---
-# 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
-# ---
+# get the version of groff and flag if it is gt or eq to 1.23
+GROFFGE123 := $(shell expr `echo $(NROFFISGROFF) | cut -f2 -d.` \>= 23)
 endif  # NROFFISGROFF
 
 ifneq "$(NROFFISGROFF)" ""   # It's groff
-# add the groff-specific plain text flags
-MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -Tascii -P -cbou
+# add the -Tascii flag used by groff
+MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -Tascii
+ifneq "$(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
 endif
+# add more plain text flags used by groff
+MORE_MAN2TXT_FLAGS += -cbou
+endif  # end groff-specific
 
 #end of hints/include/misc.370
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------