diff --git a/selftest/tests.py b/selftest/tests.py
index 9a59e9d0db1..aebfc57630c 100644
--- a/selftest/tests.py
+++ b/selftest/tests.py
@@ -20,8 +20,22 @@
 
 from selftesthelpers import *
 
+try:
+    config_h = os.environ["CONFIG_H"]
+except KeyError:
+    config_h = os.path.join(samba4bindir, "default/include/config.h")
+
+# define here var to check what we support
+f = open(config_h, 'r')
+try:
+    have_man_pages_support = ("XSLTPROC_MANPAGES 1" in f.read())
+finally:
+    f.close()
+
 planpythontestsuite("none", "samba.tests.source")
-planpythontestsuite("none", "samba.tests.docs")
+if have_man_pages_support:
+    planpythontestsuite("none", "samba.tests.docs")
+
 planpythontestsuite("none", "selftest.tests.test_suite", extra_path=[srcdir()])
 planpythontestsuite("none", "subunit")
 planpythontestsuite("none", "samba.tests.blackbox.ndrdump")