diff --git a/Documentation/Makefile b/Documentation/Makefile
index 144ec32f1..dba97dc21 100644
--- a/Documentation/Makefile
+++ b/Documentation/Makefile
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ man7dir=$(mandir)/man7
 
 ASCIIDOC=asciidoc
 ASCIIDOC_EXTRA =
-MANPAGE_XSL = callouts.xsl
+MANPAGE_XSL = manpage-normal.xsl
+XMLTO_EXTRA =
 INSTALL?=install
 RM ?= rm -f
 DOC_REF = origin/man
@@ -59,12 +60,47 @@ endif
 -include ../config.mak.autogen
 -include ../config.mak
 
+#
+# For asciidoc ...
+#	-7.1.2,	no extra settings are needed.
+#	8.0-,	set ASCIIDOC8.
+#
+
+#
+# For docbook-xsl ...
+#	-1.68.1,	set ASCIIDOC_NO_ROFF? (based on changelog from 1.73.0)
+#	1.69.0,		no extra settings are needed?
+#	1.69.1-1.71.0,	set DOCBOOK_SUPPRESS_SP?
+#	1.71.1,		no extra settings are needed?
+#	1.72.0,		set DOCBOOK_XSL_172.
+#	1.73.0-,	set ASCIIDOC_NO_ROFF
+#
+
+#
+# If you had been using DOCBOOK_XSL_172 in an attempt to get rid
+# of 'the ".ft C" problem' in your generated manpages, and you
+# instead ended up with weird characters around callouts, try
+# using ASCIIDOC_NO_ROFF instead (it works fine with ASCIIDOC8).
+#
+
 ifdef ASCIIDOC8
 ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a asciidoc7compatible
 endif
 ifdef DOCBOOK_XSL_172
-ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a docbook-xsl-172
+ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a git-asciidoc-no-roff
 MANPAGE_XSL = manpage-1.72.xsl
+else
+	ifdef ASCIIDOC_NO_ROFF
+	# docbook-xsl after 1.72 needs the regular XSL, but will not
+	# pass-thru raw roff codes from asciidoc.conf, so turn them off.
+	ASCIIDOC_EXTRA += -a git-asciidoc-no-roff
+	endif
+endif
+ifdef MAN_BOLD_LITERAL
+XMLTO_EXTRA += -m manpage-bold-literal.xsl
+endif
+ifdef DOCBOOK_SUPPRESS_SP
+XMLTO_EXTRA += -m manpage-suppress-sp.xsl
 endif
 
 #
@@ -76,6 +112,32 @@ endif
 # yourself - yes, all 6 characters of it!
 #
 
+QUIET_SUBDIR0  = +$(MAKE) -C # space to separate -C and subdir
+QUIET_SUBDIR1  =
+
+ifneq ($(findstring $(MAKEFLAGS),w),w)
+PRINT_DIR = --no-print-directory
+else # "make -w"
+NO_SUBDIR = :
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(findstring $(MAKEFLAGS),s),s)
+ifndef V
+	QUIET_ASCIIDOC	= @echo '   ' ASCIIDOC $@;
+	QUIET_XMLTO	= @echo '   ' XMLTO $@;
+	QUIET_DB2TEXI	= @echo '   ' DB2TEXI $@;
+	QUIET_MAKEINFO	= @echo '   ' MAKEINFO $@;
+	QUIET_DBLATEX	= @echo '   ' DBLATEX $@;
+	QUIET_XSLTPROC	= @echo '   ' XSLTPROC $@;
+	QUIET_GEN	= @echo '   ' GEN $@;
+	QUIET_STDERR	= 2> /dev/null
+	QUIET_SUBDIR0	= +@subdir=
+	QUIET_SUBDIR1	= ;$(NO_SUBDIR) echo '   ' SUBDIR $$subdir; \
+			  $(MAKE) $(PRINT_DIR) -C $$subdir
+	export V
+endif
+endif
+
 all: html man
 
 html: $(DOC_HTML)
@@ -119,7 +181,7 @@ install-html: html
 	sh ./install-webdoc.sh $(DESTDIR)$(htmldir)
 
 ../GIT-VERSION-FILE: .FORCE-GIT-VERSION-FILE
-	$(MAKE) -C ../ GIT-VERSION-FILE
+	$(QUIET_SUBDIR0)../ $(QUIET_SUBDIR1) GIT-VERSION-FILE
 
 -include ../GIT-VERSION-FILE
 
@@ -127,8 +189,8 @@ install-html: html
 # Determine "include::" file references in asciidoc files.
 #
 doc.dep : $(wildcard *.txt) build-docdep.perl
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	$(PERL_PATH) ./build-docdep.perl >$@+
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	$(PERL_PATH) ./build-docdep.perl >$@+ $(QUIET_STDERR) && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 -include doc.dep
@@ -146,91 +208,94 @@ cmds_txt = cmds-ancillaryinterrogators.txt \
 $(cmds_txt): cmd-list.made
 
 cmd-list.made: cmd-list.perl ../command-list.txt $(MAN1_TXT)
-	$(RM) $@
-	$(PERL_PATH) ./cmd-list.perl ../command-list.txt
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@ && \
+	$(PERL_PATH) ./cmd-list.perl ../command-list.txt $(QUIET_STDERR) && \
 	date >$@
 
 clean:
 	$(RM) *.xml *.xml+ *.html *.html+ *.1 *.5 *.7
-	$(RM) *.texi *.texi+ git.info gitman.info
+	$(RM) *.texi *.texi+ *.texi++ git.info gitman.info
 	$(RM) howto-index.txt howto/*.html doc.dep
 	$(RM) technical/api-*.html technical/api-index.txt
 	$(RM) $(cmds_txt) *.made
 
 $(MAN_HTML): %.html : %.txt
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
 	$(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 -d manpage -f asciidoc.conf \
-		$(ASCIIDOC_EXTRA) -agit_version=$(GIT_VERSION) -o $@+ $<
+		$(ASCIIDOC_EXTRA) -agit_version=$(GIT_VERSION) -o $@+ $< && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 %.1 %.5 %.7 : %.xml
-	$(RM) $@
-	xmlto -m $(MANPAGE_XSL) man $<
+	$(QUIET_XMLTO)$(RM) $@ && \
+	xmlto -m $(MANPAGE_XSL) $(XMLTO_EXTRA) man $<
 
 %.xml : %.txt
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
 	$(ASCIIDOC) -b docbook -d manpage -f asciidoc.conf \
-		$(ASCIIDOC_EXTRA) -agit_version=$(GIT_VERSION) -o $@+ $<
+		$(ASCIIDOC_EXTRA) -agit_version=$(GIT_VERSION) -o $@+ $< && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 user-manual.xml: user-manual.txt user-manual.conf
-	$(ASCIIDOC) -b docbook -d book $<
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(ASCIIDOC) -b docbook -d book $<
 
 technical/api-index.txt: technical/api-index-skel.txt \
 	technical/api-index.sh $(patsubst %,%.txt,$(API_DOCS))
-	cd technical && sh ./api-index.sh
+	$(QUIET_GEN)cd technical && sh ./api-index.sh
 
 $(patsubst %,%.html,$(API_DOCS) technical/api-index): %.html : %.txt
-	$(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 -f asciidoc.conf \
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 -f asciidoc.conf \
 		$(ASCIIDOC_EXTRA) -agit_version=$(GIT_VERSION) $*.txt
 
 XSLT = docbook.xsl
 XSLTOPTS = --xinclude --stringparam html.stylesheet docbook-xsl.css
 
 user-manual.html: user-manual.xml
-	xsltproc $(XSLTOPTS) -o $@ $(XSLT) $<
+	$(QUIET_XSLTPROC)xsltproc $(XSLTOPTS) -o $@ $(XSLT) $<
 
 git.info: user-manual.texi
-	$(MAKEINFO) --no-split -o $@ user-manual.texi
+	$(QUIET_MAKEINFO)$(MAKEINFO) --no-split -o $@ user-manual.texi
 
 user-manual.texi: user-manual.xml
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	$(DOCBOOK2X_TEXI) user-manual.xml --encoding=UTF-8 --to-stdout | \
-		$(PERL_PATH) fix-texi.perl >$@+
+	$(QUIET_DB2TEXI)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	$(DOCBOOK2X_TEXI) user-manual.xml --encoding=UTF-8 --to-stdout >$@++ && \
+	$(PERL_PATH) fix-texi.perl <$@++ >$@+ && \
+	rm $@++ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 user-manual.pdf: user-manual.xml
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	$(DBLATEX) -o $@+ -p /etc/asciidoc/dblatex/asciidoc-dblatex.xsl -s /etc/asciidoc/dblatex/asciidoc-dblatex.sty $<
+	$(QUIET_DBLATEX)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	$(DBLATEX) -o $@+ -p /etc/asciidoc/dblatex/asciidoc-dblatex.xsl -s /etc/asciidoc/dblatex/asciidoc-dblatex.sty $< && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 gitman.texi: $(MAN_XML) cat-texi.perl
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
+	$(QUIET_DB2TEXI)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
 	($(foreach xml,$(MAN_XML),$(DOCBOOK2X_TEXI) --encoding=UTF-8 \
-		--to-stdout $(xml);)) | $(PERL_PATH) cat-texi.perl $@ >$@+
+		--to-stdout $(xml) &&) true) > $@++ && \
+	$(PERL_PATH) cat-texi.perl $@ <$@++ >$@+ && \
+	rm $@++ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 gitman.info: gitman.texi
-	$(MAKEINFO) --no-split --no-validate $*.texi
+	$(QUIET_MAKEINFO)$(MAKEINFO) --no-split --no-validate $*.texi
 
 $(patsubst %.txt,%.texi,$(MAN_TXT)): %.texi : %.xml
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	$(DOCBOOK2X_TEXI) --to-stdout $*.xml >$@+
+	$(QUIET_DB2TEXI)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	$(DOCBOOK2X_TEXI) --to-stdout $*.xml >$@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 howto-index.txt: howto-index.sh $(wildcard howto/*.txt)
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	sh ./howto-index.sh $(wildcard howto/*.txt) >$@+
+	$(QUIET_GEN)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	sh ./howto-index.sh $(wildcard howto/*.txt) >$@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 $(patsubst %,%.html,$(ARTICLES)) : %.html : %.txt
-	$(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 $*.txt
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 $*.txt
 
 WEBDOC_DEST = /pub/software/scm/git/docs
 
 $(patsubst %.txt,%.html,$(wildcard howto/*.txt)): %.html : %.txt
-	$(RM) $@+ $@
-	sed -e '1,/^$$/d' $< | $(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 - >$@+
+	$(QUIET_ASCIIDOC)$(RM) $@+ $@ && \
+	sed -e '1,/^$$/d' $< | $(ASCIIDOC) -b xhtml11 - >$@+ && \
 	mv $@+ $@
 
 install-webdoc : html
diff --git a/Documentation/RelNotes-1.6.3.txt b/Documentation/RelNotes-1.6.3.txt
index f0a2e41c7..0c8a14ea9 100644
--- a/Documentation/RelNotes-1.6.3.txt
+++ b/Documentation/RelNotes-1.6.3.txt
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ Updates since v1.6.2
 * Makefile learned 'coverage' option to run the test suites with
   coverage tracking enabled.
 
+* Building the manpages with docbook-xsl between 1.69.1 and 1.71.1 now
+  requires setting DOCBOOK_SUPPRESS_SP to work around a docbook-xsl bug.
+  This workaround used to be enabled by default, but causes problems
+  with newer versions of docbook-xsl.
+
 Fixes since v1.6.2
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
index 1e735df3b..dc76e7f07 100644
--- a/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
+++ b/Documentation/asciidoc.conf
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ ifdef::backend-docbook[]
 endif::backend-docbook[]
 
 ifdef::backend-docbook[]
-ifndef::docbook-xsl-172[]
+ifndef::git-asciidoc-no-roff[]
 # "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]
@@ -42,16 +42,16 @@ ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
 endif::doctype-manpage[]
 </literallayout>
 {title#}</example>
-endif::docbook-xsl-172[]
+endif::git-asciidoc-no-roff[]
 
-ifdef::docbook-xsl-172[]
+ifdef::git-asciidoc-no-roff[]
 ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
 # The following two small workarounds insert a simple paragraph after screen
 [listingblock]
 <example><title>{title}</title>
-<screen>
+<literallayout>
 |
-</screen><simpara></simpara>
+</literallayout><simpara></simpara>
 {title#}</example>
 
 [verseblock]
@@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
 {title%}<literallayout{id? id="{id}"}>
 {title#}<literallayout>
 |
-</literallayout><simpara></simpara>
+</literallayout>
 {title#}</para></formalpara>
+{title%}<simpara></simpara>
 endif::doctype-manpage[]
-endif::docbook-xsl-172[]
+endif::git-asciidoc-no-roff[]
 endif::backend-docbook[]
 
 ifdef::doctype-manpage[]
diff --git a/Documentation/callouts.xsl b/Documentation/callouts.xsl
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a361a213..000000000
--- a/Documentation/callouts.xsl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-<!-- callout.xsl: converts asciidoc callouts to man page format -->
-<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
-<xsl:template match="co">
-	<xsl:value-of select="concat('\fB(',substring-after(@id,'-'),')\fR')"/>
-</xsl:template>
-<xsl:template match="calloutlist">
-	<xsl:text>.sp&#10;</xsl:text>
-	<xsl:apply-templates/>
-	<xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
-</xsl:template>
-<xsl:template match="callout">
-	<xsl:value-of select="concat('\fB',substring-after(@arearefs,'-'),'. \fR')"/>
-	<xsl:apply-templates/>
-	<xsl:text>.br&#10;</xsl:text>
-</xsl:template>
-
-<!-- sorry, this is not about callouts, but attempts to work around
- spurious .sp at the tail of the line docbook stylesheets seem to add -->
-<xsl:template match="simpara">
-  <xsl:variable name="content">
-    <xsl:apply-templates/>
-  </xsl:variable>
-  <xsl:value-of select="normalize-space($content)"/>
-  <xsl:if test="not(ancestor::authorblurb) and
-                not(ancestor::personblurb)">
-    <xsl:text>&#10;&#10;</xsl:text>
-  </xsl:if>
-</xsl:template>
-
-</xsl:stylesheet>
diff --git a/Documentation/manpage-1.72.xsl b/Documentation/manpage-1.72.xsl
index 4065a3a27..b4d315cb8 100644
--- a/Documentation/manpage-1.72.xsl
+++ b/Documentation/manpage-1.72.xsl
@@ -1,21 +1,14 @@
-<!-- Based on callouts.xsl. Fixes man page callouts for DocBook 1.72 XSL -->
-<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
+<!-- manpage-1.72.xsl:
+     special settings for manpages rendered from asciidoc+docbook
+     handles peculiarities in docbook-xsl 1.72.0 -->
+<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
+		version="1.0">
 
-<xsl:param name="man.output.quietly" select="1"/>
-<xsl:param name="refentry.meta.get.quietly" select="1"/>
+<xsl:import href="manpage-base.xsl"/>
 
-<xsl:template match="co">
-	<xsl:value-of select="concat('&#x2593;fB(',substring-after(@id,'-'),')&#x2593;fR')"/>
-</xsl:template>
-<xsl:template match="calloutlist">
-	<xsl:text>&#x2302;sp&#10;</xsl:text>
-	<xsl:apply-templates/>
-	<xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
-</xsl:template>
-<xsl:template match="callout">
-	<xsl:value-of select="concat('&#x2593;fB',substring-after(@arearefs,'-'),'. &#x2593;fR')"/>
-	<xsl:apply-templates/>
-	<xsl:text>&#x2302;br&#10;</xsl:text>
-</xsl:template>
+<!-- these are the special values for the roff control characters
+     needed for docbook-xsl 1.72.0 -->
+<xsl:param name="git.docbook.backslash">&#x2593;</xsl:param>
+<xsl:param name="git.docbook.dot"      >&#x2302;</xsl:param>
 
 </xsl:stylesheet>
diff --git a/Documentation/manpage-base.xsl b/Documentation/manpage-base.xsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a264fa616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/manpage-base.xsl
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<!-- manpage-base.xsl:
+     special formatting for manpages rendered from asciidoc+docbook -->
+<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
+		version="1.0">
+
+<!-- these params silence some output from xmlto -->
+<xsl:param name="man.output.quietly" select="1"/>
+<xsl:param name="refentry.meta.get.quietly" select="1"/>
+
+<!-- convert asciidoc callouts to man page format;
+     git.docbook.backslash and git.docbook.dot params
+     must be supplied by another XSL file or other means -->
+<xsl:template match="co">
+	<xsl:value-of select="concat(
+			      $git.docbook.backslash,'fB(',
+			      substring-after(@id,'-'),')',
+			      $git.docbook.backslash,'fR')"/>
+</xsl:template>
+<xsl:template match="calloutlist">
+	<xsl:value-of select="$git.docbook.dot"/>
+	<xsl:text>sp&#10;</xsl:text>
+	<xsl:apply-templates/>
+	<xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
+</xsl:template>
+<xsl:template match="callout">
+	<xsl:value-of select="concat(
+			      $git.docbook.backslash,'fB',
+			      substring-after(@arearefs,'-'),
+			      '. ',$git.docbook.backslash,'fR')"/>
+	<xsl:apply-templates/>
+	<xsl:value-of select="$git.docbook.dot"/>
+	<xsl:text>br&#10;</xsl:text>
+</xsl:template>
+
+</xsl:stylesheet>
diff --git a/Documentation/manpage-bold-literal.xsl b/Documentation/manpage-bold-literal.xsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..608eb5df6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/manpage-bold-literal.xsl
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<!-- manpage-bold-literal.xsl:
+     special formatting for manpages rendered from asciidoc+docbook -->
+<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
+		version="1.0">
+
+<!-- render literal text as bold (instead of plain or monospace);
+     this makes literal text easier to distinguish in manpages
+     viewed on a tty -->
+<xsl:template match="literal">
+	<xsl:value-of select="$git.docbook.backslash"/>
+	<xsl:text>fB</xsl:text>
+	<xsl:apply-templates/>
+	<xsl:value-of select="$git.docbook.backslash"/>
+	<xsl:text>fR</xsl:text>
+</xsl:template>
+
+</xsl:stylesheet>
diff --git a/Documentation/manpage-normal.xsl b/Documentation/manpage-normal.xsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a48f5b11f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/manpage-normal.xsl
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<!-- manpage-normal.xsl:
+     special settings for manpages rendered from asciidoc+docbook
+     handles anything we want to keep away from docbook-xsl 1.72.0 -->
+<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
+		version="1.0">
+
+<xsl:import href="manpage-base.xsl"/>
+
+<!-- these are the normal values for the roff control characters -->
+<xsl:param name="git.docbook.backslash">\</xsl:param>
+<xsl:param name="git.docbook.dot"	>.</xsl:param>
+
+</xsl:stylesheet>
diff --git a/Documentation/manpage-suppress-sp.xsl b/Documentation/manpage-suppress-sp.xsl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a63c7632a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/manpage-suppress-sp.xsl
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<!-- manpage-suppress-sp.xsl:
+     special settings for manpages rendered from asciidoc+docbook
+     handles erroneous, inline .sp in manpage output of some
+     versions of docbook-xsl -->
+<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
+		version="1.0">
+
+<!-- attempt to work around spurious .sp at the tail of the line
+     that some versions of docbook stylesheets seem to add -->
+<xsl:template match="simpara">
+  <xsl:variable name="content">
+    <xsl:apply-templates/>
+  </xsl:variable>
+  <xsl:value-of select="normalize-space($content)"/>
+  <xsl:if test="not(ancestor::authorblurb) and
+                not(ancestor::personblurb)">
+    <xsl:text>&#10;&#10;</xsl:text>
+  </xsl:if>
+</xsl:template>
+
+</xsl:stylesheet>