--- a/runtime/lua/man.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/man.lua
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@
   -- Force MANPAGER=cat to ensure Vim is not recursively invoked (by man-db).
   -- http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.editors.vim.devel/29085
   -- Set MAN_KEEP_FORMATTING so Debian man doesn't discard backspaces.
-  local cmd = { 'env', 'MANPAGER=cat', 'MANWIDTH=' .. manwidth, 'MAN_KEEP_FORMATTING=1', 'man' }
+  local cmd = { 'env', 'MANPAGER=cat', 'MANWIDTH=' .. manwidth, 'MAN_KEEP_FORMATTING=1', 'mandoc' }
   if localfile_arg then
     cmd[#cmd + 1] = '-l'
   end
