diff --git a/Documentation/Makefile b/Documentation/Makefile
index 39ec0ede02..d88664177d 100644
--- a/Documentation/Makefile
+++ b/Documentation/Makefile
@@ -37,9 +37,6 @@ man7dir=$(mandir)/man7
 
 ASCIIDOC=asciidoc
 ASCIIDOC_EXTRA =
-ifdef ASCIIDOC8
-ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a asciidoc7compatible
-endif
 INSTALL?=install
 RM ?= rm -f
 DOC_REF = origin/man
@@ -52,6 +49,13 @@ DOCBOOK2X_TEXI=docbook2x-texi
 -include ../config.mak.autogen
 -include ../config.mak
 
+ifdef ASCIIDOC8
+ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a asciidoc7compatible
+endif
+ifdef DOCBOOK_XSL_172
+ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a docbook-xsl-172
+endif
+
 #
 # Please note that there is a minor bug in asciidoc.
 # The version after 6.0.3 _will_ include the patch found here:
diff --git a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
index af5b1558a6..99d8874aa0 100644
--- a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
+++ b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ ifdef::backend-docbook[]
 endif::backend-docbook[]
 
 ifdef::backend-docbook[]
+ifndef::docbook-xsl-172[]
 # "unbreak" docbook-xsl v1.68 for manpages. v1.69 works with or without this.
+# v1.72 breaks with this because it replaces dots not in roff requests.
 [listingblock]
 <example><title>{title}</title>
 <literallayout>
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
 endif::doctype-manpage[]
 </literallayout>
 {title#}</example>
+endif::docbook-xsl-172[]
 endif::backend-docbook[]
 
 ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2331e45adf..41c90ad1d4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ all::
 #
 # Define ASCIIDOC8 if you want to format documentation with AsciiDoc 8
 #
+# Define DOCBOOK_XSL_172 if you want to format man pages with DocBook XSL v1.72.
+#
 # Define NO_PERL_MAKEMAKER if you cannot use Makefiles generated by perl's
 # MakeMaker (e.g. using ActiveState under Cygwin).
 #