diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 932f0d313..5b0818996 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -271,15 +271,6 @@ if( BUILD_STARTTDE )
 endif()
 
 
-##### Determine whether older manpage support is used ##########
-
-if( EXISTS "/usr/sbin/makewhatis" )
-  set( WITH_MAKEWHATIS "1" )
-  message( STATUS "Selected makewhatis for tdeio-man on your system" )
-else()
-  message( STATUS "Selected man-db for tdeio-man on your system" )
-endif()
-
 ##### Checks for a distribution-specific 1st menu item, generally a control center
 if(EXISTS "/usr/share/applications/YaST.desktop")
   set( KICKOFF_DIST_CONFIG_SHORTCUT1 "/usr/share/applications/YaST.desktop" )
diff --git a/config.h.cmake b/config.h.cmake
index 7cb3aa1fc..f5b429ed0 100644
--- a/config.h.cmake
+++ b/config.h.cmake
@@ -196,9 +196,6 @@
 // Defined when wanting ksmserver shutdown debugging timing markers in .xsession-errors
 #cmakedefine BUILD_PROFILE_SHUTDOWN 1
 
-// Use makewhatis manpage support
-#cmakedefine WITH_MAKEWHATIS "@WITH_MAKEWHATIS@"
-
 // Kickoff menu
 #cmakedefine KICKOFF_DIST_CONFIG_SHORTCUT1 "@KICKOFF_DIST_CONFIG_SHORTCUT1@"
 #cmakedefine KICKOFF_DIST_CONFIG_SHORTCUT2 "@KICKOFF_DIST_CONFIG_SHORTCUT2@"
diff --git a/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.cpp b/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.cpp
index d6574f064..92530facb 100644
--- a/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.cpp
+++ b/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.cpp
@@ -581,47 +581,62 @@ char *MANProtocol::readManPage(const char *_filename)
         }
         lastdir = filename.left(filename.findRev('/'));
     
-#ifdef WITH_MAKEWHATIS
-        TQIODevice *fd= KFilterDev::deviceForFile(filename);
+        size_t len;
 
-        if ( !fd || !fd->open(IO_ReadOnly))
-        {
-           delete fd;
-           return 0;
-        }
-        TQByteArray array(fd->readAll());
-        kdDebug(7107) << "read " << array.size() << endl;
-        fd->close();
-        delete fd;
+        if( hasManRecode() ) {
+            myStdStream = TQString::null;
+            TDEProcess proc;
 
-        if (array.isEmpty())
-            return 0;
+            proc << "man" << "--recode" << "UTF-8" << filename;
 
-        const int len = array.size();
-        buf = new char[len + 4];
-        tqmemmove(buf + 1, array.data(), len);
-#else
-        myStdStream = TQString::null;
-        TDEProcess proc;
-        /* TODO: detect availability of 'man --recode' so that this can go
-         * upstream */
-        proc << "man" << "--recode" << "UTF-8" << filename;
+            TQApplication::connect(&proc, TQT_SIGNAL(receivedStdout (TDEProcess *, char *, int)),
+                                   this, TQT_SLOT(slotGetStdOutputUtf8(TDEProcess *, char *, int)));
+            proc.start(TDEProcess::Block, TDEProcess::All);
 
-        TQApplication::connect(&proc, TQT_SIGNAL(receivedStdout (TDEProcess *, char *, int)),
-                              this, TQT_SLOT(slotGetStdOutputUtf8(TDEProcess *, char *, int)));
-        proc.start(TDEProcess::Block, TDEProcess::All);
+            const TQCString cstr=myStdStream.utf8();
+            len = cstr.size() != 0 ? cstr.size() - 1 : 0;
+            buf = new char[len + 4];
+            tqmemmove(buf + 1, cstr.data(), len);
+        } else {
+            TQIODevice *fd= KFilterDev::deviceForFile(filename);
 
-        const TQCString cstr=myStdStream.utf8();
-        const int len = cstr.size()-1;
-        buf = new char[len + 4];
-        tqmemmove(buf + 1, cstr.data(), len);
-#endif
+            if ( !fd || !fd->open(IO_ReadOnly))
+            {
+               delete fd;
+               return 0;
+            }
+            TQByteArray array(fd->readAll());
+            kdDebug(7107) << "read " << array.size() << endl;
+            fd->close();
+            delete fd;
+
+            if (array.isEmpty())
+                return 0;
+
+            len = array.size();
+            buf = new char[len + 4];
+            tqmemmove(buf + 1, array.data(), len);
+        }
         buf[0]=buf[len]='\n'; // Start and end with a end of line
         buf[len+1]=buf[len+2]='\0'; // Two NUL characters at end
     }
     return buf;
 }
 
+bool MANProtocol::hasManRecode(bool force) {
+    static bool rv=0, wasChecked=0;
+    if ( !wasChecked || force ) {
+        TDEProcess proc;
+        // lets' try to recode the man page of man. 
+        // that should be enough to be sure that man-db is installed.
+        proc << "man" << "--recode" << "UTF-8" << "man";
+
+        proc.start(TDEProcess::Block, TDEProcess::All);
+        rv = proc.exitStatus() == 0;
+        wasChecked = 1;
+    }
+    return rv;
+}
 
 void MANProtocol::outputError(const TQString& errmsg)
 {
diff --git a/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.h b/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.h
index 7ba9d1dbc..e621a7fbf 100644
--- a/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.h
+++ b/tdeioslave/man/tdeio_man.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ private slots:
 private:
     void checkManPaths();
     TQStringList manDirectories();
+    static bool hasManRecode(bool force=0);
     TQMap<TQString, TQString> buildIndexMap(const TQString& section);
     bool addWhatIs(TQMap<TQString, TQString>& i, const TQString& f, const TQString& mark);
     void parseWhatIs( TQMap<TQString, TQString> &i, TQTextStream &t, const TQString &mark );