diff --git a/curl-autotools.sh b/curl-autotools.sh
index 28b247b0e..c5629f745 100755
--- a/curl-autotools.sh
+++ b/curl-autotools.sh
@@ -413,13 +413,8 @@ _VER="$1"
     LDFLAGS_LIB+=" -Wl,--output-def,${_DEF_NAME}"
   fi
 
-  # If the source tarball provides these pre-built, just use them without
-  # trying to rebuild them. Rebuilding introduces env-specific differences
-  # via `nroff`.
-  if [ -f 'docs/curl.1' ] && \
-     [ -f 'src/tool_hugehelp.c' ]; then
+  if [[ "${_CONFIG}" = *'nocurltool'* ]]; then
     options+=' --disable-manual'
-    CPPFLAGS+=' -DUSE_MANUAL=1'  # Use pre-built manual
   else
     options+=' --enable-manual'
   fi
diff --git a/curl-cmake.sh b/curl-cmake.sh
index 261865411..94d265bdb 100755
--- a/curl-cmake.sh
+++ b/curl-cmake.sh
@@ -412,12 +412,8 @@ _VER="$1"
     options+=' -DCURL_USE_LIBPSL=OFF'
   fi
 
-  # If the source tarball provides these pre-built, just use them without
-  # trying to rebuild them. Rebuilding introduces env-specific differences
-  # via `nroff`.
-  if [ -f 'docs/curl.1' ] && \
-     [ -f 'src/tool_hugehelp.c' ]; then
-    CPPFLAGS+=' -DUSE_MANUAL=1'  # Embed pre-built manual
+  if [[ "${_CONFIG}" = *'nocurltool'* ]]; then
+    options+=' -DENABLE_CURL_MANUAL=OFF'
   else
     options+=' -DENABLE_CURL_MANUAL=ON'  # Build and embed manual
   fi
@@ -470,15 +466,6 @@ _VER="$1"
       "-DCMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS=${LDFLAGS} ${LDFLAGS_LIB} ${LIBS}"  # --debug-find --debug-trycompile
   fi
 
-  if [[ "${_CONFIG}" != *'nocurltool'* ]]; then
-    # When doing an out of tree build, this is necessary to avoid make
-    # re-generating the embedded manual with blank content.
-    if [ -f 'docs/curl.1' ] && \
-       [ -f 'src/tool_hugehelp.c' ]; then
-      cp -p src/tool_hugehelp.c "${_BLDDIR}/src/"
-    fi
-  fi
-
   SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="${unixts}" TZ=UTC make --directory="${_BLDDIR}" --jobs="${_JOBS}" install "DESTDIR=$(pwd)/${_PKGDIR}" VERBOSE=1
   # Needs BUILD_TESTING=ON to build everything
 # make --directory="${_BLDDIR}" --jobs="${_JOBS}" testdeps