diff --git a/doc/utils/build_manpage.py b/doc/utils/build_manpage.py
index ed46907..29e0716 100644
--- a/doc/utils/build_manpage.py
+++ b/doc/utils/build_manpage.py
@@ -20,16 +20,22 @@
 import argparse
 import datetime
 from distutils.core import Command
+from distutils.command.build import build
 import os
 
 
+AUTO_BUILD = True
+
+
 class BuildManpage(Command):
 
-    user_options = []
+    user_options = [
+        ('output=', 'O', 'output file'),
+    ]
     command_name = 'build_manpage'
 
     def initialize_options(self):
-        self._output = self.distribution.get_name() + '.1'
+        self.output = None
         self._see_also = ["git:1"]
         self._today = datetime.date.today()
         self._commands = self._parser = None
@@ -39,6 +45,9 @@ class BuildManpage(Command):
         self._commands, self._parser = main.build_parsers()
         self._parser.formatter = ManPageFormatter()
 
+        if self.output is None:
+            self.output = self.distribution.get_name() + '.1'
+
     def _markup(self, txt):
         return txt.replace('-', '\\-')
 
@@ -113,7 +122,9 @@ class BuildManpage(Command):
         manpage.append(self._write_options())
         manpage.append(self._write_footer())
         manpage.append(self._write_see_also())
-        stream = open(self._output, 'w')
+        if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(self.output)):
+            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.output))
+        stream = open(self.output, 'w')
         stream.write(''.join(manpage))
         stream.close()
 
@@ -134,3 +145,7 @@ class ManPageFormatter(argparse.ArgumentDefaultsHelpFormatter):
 
     def format_usage(self, usage):
         return ManPageFormatter._markup(usage)
+
+
+if AUTO_BUILD:
+    build.sub_commands.append(('build_manpage', None))
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 23d2fc3..fe10bd2 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ commands = build_manpage.BuildManpage
 
 [pbr]
 skip_changelog = True
+manpages = build/man/git-upstream.1
 
 [files]
 packages =
@@ -39,4 +40,8 @@ console_scripts =
     git-upstream = git_upstream.main:main
     rebase-editor = git_upstream.rebase_editor:main
 
+
+[build_manpage]
+output = build/man/git-upstream.1
+
 [easy_install]