diff --git a/docs/cmdline-opts/CMakeLists.txt b/docs/cmdline-opts/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a3a1c5f6..99ec66c31 100644
--- a/docs/cmdline-opts/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/docs/cmdline-opts/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ transform_makefile_inc("Makefile.inc" "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/Makefile.inc.
 include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/Makefile.inc.cmake")
 
 add_custom_command(OUTPUT "${MANPAGE}"
-  COMMAND cd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} && "${PERL_EXECUTABLE}" "./gen.pl" mainpage ${DPAGES} > "${MANPAGE}"
-  COMMAND cd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} && "${PERL_EXECUTABLE}" "./gen.pl" ascii ${DPAGES} > "${ASCIIPAGE}"
+  COMMAND cd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} && "${PERL_EXECUTABLE}" ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/managen mainpage ${DPAGES} > "${MANPAGE}"
+  COMMAND cd ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} && "${PERL_EXECUTABLE}" ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/managen ascii ${DPAGES} > "${ASCIIPAGE}"
   VERBATIM
 )
 add_custom_target(generate-curl.1 ALL DEPENDS "${MANPAGE}")
diff --git a/docs/cmdline-opts/MANPAGE.md b/docs/cmdline-opts/MANPAGE.md
index 16c203608..252e9e86a 100644
--- a/docs/cmdline-opts/MANPAGE.md
+++ b/docs/cmdline-opts/MANPAGE.md
@@ -103,11 +103,16 @@ getting spellchecked by CI jobs): `%DATE`, `%VERSION` and `%GLOBALS`.
 
 ## Generate
 
-`./gen.pl mainpage`
+`managen mainpage [list of markdown option file names]`
 
 This command outputs a single huge nroff file, meant to become `curl.1`. The
 full curl man page.
 
-`./gen.pl listhelp`
+`managen ascii [list of markdown option file names]`
+
+This command outputs a single text file, meant to become `curl.txt`. The full
+curl man page in text format, used to build `tool_hugehelp.c`.
+
+`managen listhelp`
 
 Generates a full `curl --help` output for all known command line options.
diff --git a/docs/cmdline-opts/Makefile.am b/docs/cmdline-opts/Makefile.am
index 50d135270..81a4afe1b 100644
--- a/docs/cmdline-opts/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/cmdline-opts/Makefile.am
@@ -31,13 +31,15 @@ man_MANS = $(MANPAGE)
 
 include Makefile.inc
 
-EXTRA_DIST = $(DPAGES) MANPAGE.md gen.pl $(SUPPORT) CMakeLists.txt mainpage.idx
+EXTRA_DIST = $(DPAGES) MANPAGE.md $(SUPPORT) CMakeLists.txt mainpage.idx
 
 GEN = $(GN_$(V))
 GN_0 = @echo "  GENERATE" $@;
 GN_1 =
 GN_ = $(GN_0)
 
+MANAGEN=$(abs_top_srcdir)/scripts/managen
+
 if BUILD_DOCS
 CLEANFILES = $(MANPAGE) $(ASCIIPAGE)
 
@@ -45,11 +47,14 @@ all: $(MANPAGE) $(ASCIIPAGE)
 
 endif
 
-$(MANPAGE): $(DPAGES) $(SUPPORT) mainpage.idx Makefile.inc gen.pl
-	$(GEN)(rm -f $(MANPAGE) && (cd $(srcdir) && @PERL@ ./gen.pl mainpage $(DPAGES)) > manpage.tmp.$$$$ && mv manpage.tmp.$$$$ $(MANPAGE))
+$(MANPAGE): $(DPAGES) $(SUPPORT) mainpage.idx Makefile.inc $(MANAGEN)
+	$(GEN)(rm -f $(MANPAGE) && (cd $(srcdir) && @PERL@ $(MANAGEN) mainpage $(DPAGES)) > manpage.tmp.$$$$ && mv manpage.tmp.$$$$ $(MANPAGE))
 
-$(ASCIIPAGE): $(DPAGES) $(SUPPORT) mainpage.idx Makefile.inc gen.pl
-	$(GEN)(rm -f $(ASCIIPAGE) && (cd $(srcdir) && @PERL@ ./gen.pl ascii $(DPAGES)) > asciipage.tmp.$$$$ && mv asciipage.tmp.$$$$ $(ASCIIPAGE))
+$(ASCIIPAGE): $(DPAGES) $(SUPPORT) mainpage.idx Makefile.inc $(MANAGEN)
+	$(GEN)(rm -f $(ASCIIPAGE) && (cd $(srcdir) && @PERL@ $(MANAGEN) ascii $(DPAGES)) > asciipage.tmp.$$$$ && mv asciipage.tmp.$$$$ $(ASCIIPAGE))
 
 listhelp:
-	./gen.pl listhelp $(DPAGES) > $(top_builddir)/src/tool_listhelp.c
+	$(MANAGEN) listhelp $(DPAGES) > $(top_builddir)/src/tool_listhelp.c
+
+listcats:
+	@$(MANAGEN) listcats $(DPAGES)
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.am b/scripts/Makefile.am
index 2d136d8ed..ad4877194 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.am
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.am
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 ###########################################################################
 
 EXTRA_DIST = coverage.sh completion.pl firefox-db2pem.sh checksrc.pl    \
- mk-ca-bundle.pl schemetable.c cd2nroff nroff2cd cdall cd2cd
+ mk-ca-bundle.pl schemetable.c cd2nroff nroff2cd cdall cd2cd managen
 
 ZSH_FUNCTIONS_DIR = @ZSH_FUNCTIONS_DIR@
 FISH_FUNCTIONS_DIR = @FISH_FUNCTIONS_DIR@
diff --git a/docs/cmdline-opts/gen.pl b/scripts/managen
similarity index 99%
rename from docs/cmdline-opts/gen.pl
rename to scripts/managen
index eeaabd2ec..d950bd586 100755
--- a/docs/cmdline-opts/gen.pl
+++ b/scripts/managen
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 This script generates the manpage.
 
-Example: gen.pl <command> [files] > curl.1
+Example: managen <command> [files] > curl.1
 
 Dev notes:
 
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ sub mainpage {
 .\\" *
 .\\" **************************************************************************
 .\\"
-.\\" DO NOT EDIT. Generated by the curl project gen.pl man page generator.
+.\\" DO NOT EDIT. Generated by the curl project managen man page generator.
 .\\"
 .TH curl 1 "$date" "curl $version" "curl Manual"
 HEADER
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ sub getargs {
         return;
     }
 
-    print "Usage: gen.pl <mainpage/ascii/listhelp/single FILE/protos/listcats> [files]\n";
+    print "Usage: managen <mainpage/ascii/listhelp/single FILE/protos/listcats> [files]\n";
 }
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/tool_help.h b/src/tool_help.h
index a7906266e..a05cd8458 100644
--- a/src/tool_help.h
+++ b/src/tool_help.h
@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ struct helptxt {
 /*
  * The bitmask output is generated with the following command
  ------------------------------------------------------------
-  cd $srcroot/docs/cmdline-opts
-  ./gen.pl listcats *.d
+  make -C docs/cmdline-opts listcats
  */
 
 #define CURLHELP_HIDDEN 1u << 0u
diff --git a/tests/data/test1478 b/tests/data/test1478
index b489ac038..c05766740 100644
--- a/tests/data/test1478
+++ b/tests/data/test1478
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ src/tool_listhelp.c is in sync with docs/cmdline-opts
 </name>
 
 <command type="perl">
-%SRCDIR/../docs/cmdline-opts/gen.pl listhelp %SRCDIR/../docs/cmdline-opts/*.md
+%SRCDIR/../scripts/managen listhelp %SRCDIR/../docs/cmdline-opts/*.md
 </command>
 </client>