diff --git a/.github/scripts/release-docs.sh b/.github/scripts/release-docs.sh
index a21e32406a34..1b8cdbcec6a9 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/release-docs.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/release-docs.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-docker run -v $PWD/:/github otp "make release docs release_docs && make release_docs DOC_TARGETS='man html pdf' RELEASE_ROOT=/github/docs"
+docker run -v $PWD/:/github otp "make release docs release_docs && make release_docs DOC_TARGETS='man html' RELEASE_ROOT=/github/docs"
 sudo chown -R `whoami` docs
 cd docs
 tar czf ../otp_doc_man.tar.gz man
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yaml b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
index c4c7ec72a819..feb1f4ff0cec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yaml
@@ -421,16 +421,17 @@ jobs:
           RUN make release docs release_docs && sudo make install-docs
           EOF
       - name: Release docs to publish
-        run: |
-          docker run -v $PWD/:/github otp \
-            "make release_docs DOC_TARGETS='html' RELEASE_ROOT=/github/docs"
-            sudo chown -R `whoami` docs
-            cd docs && tar czf ../otp_doc_html.tar.gz *
+        run: .github/scripts/release-docs.sh
       - name: Upload html documentation archive
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.3.3
         with:
           name: otp_doc_html
           path: otp_doc_html.tar.gz
+      - name: Upload man documentation archive
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.3.0
+        with:
+          name: otp_doc_man
+          path: otp_doc_man.tar.gz
       - name: Trigger rebuild of erlang.org/docs/
         if: github.ref_name == 'master' && github.repository == 'erlang/otp'
         env:
@@ -603,6 +604,10 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4.1.7
         with:
           name: otp_doc_html
+      - name: Download man docs
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4.1.1
+        with:
+          name: otp_doc_man
 
       ## We add the correct version name into the file names
       ## and create the hash files for all assets
diff --git a/erts/man/.gitignore b/erts/man/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d1..000000000000
diff --git a/make/doc.mk b/make/doc.mk
index 2bf55851fa3d..887d67b875b0 100644
--- a/make/doc.mk
+++ b/make/doc.mk
@@ -45,14 +45,24 @@ else
 EX_DOC_FORMATS=
 endif
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------
+# Man dependencies
+# ----------------------------------------------------
+MAN1_DEPS?=$(wildcard */*_cmd.md)
+
+MAN1_PAGES=$(MAN1_DEPS:references/%_cmd.md=$(MAN1DIR)/%.1)
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 # Targets
 # ----------------------------------------------------
+DEFAULT_DOC_TARGETS=html
 ifneq ($(CHUNK_FILES),)
-DOC_TARGETS?=html chunks
-else
-DOC_TARGETS?=html
+DEFAULT_DOC_TARGETS+=chunks
+endif
+ifneq ($(MAN1_DEPS),)
+DEFAULT_DOC_TARGETS+=man
 endif
+DOC_TARGETS?=$(DEFAULT_DOC_TARGETS)
 
 EX_DOC_WARNINGS_AS_ERRORS?=true
 
@@ -68,15 +78,6 @@ $(HTMLDIR)/index.html: $(HTML_DEPS) docs.exs $(ERL_TOP)/make/ex_doc.exs
 
 html: $(HTMLDIR)/index.html
 
-$(TYPES):
-
-clean clean_docs: clean_html
-	rm -rf $(EXTRA_FILES)
-
-MAN1_DEPS?=$(wildcard */*_cmd.md)
-
-MAN1_PAGES=$(MAN1_DEPS:references/%_cmd.md=$(MAN1DIR)/%.1)
-
 man: $(MAN1_PAGES)
 
 MARKDOWN_TO_MAN=$(ERL_TOP)/make/markdown_to_man.escript
@@ -84,6 +85,11 @@ MARKDOWN_TO_MAN=$(ERL_TOP)/make/markdown_to_man.escript
 man1/%.1: references/%_cmd.md $(MARKDOWN_TO_MAN)
 	escript$(EXEEXT) $(MARKDOWN_TO_MAN) -o $(MAN1DIR) $<
 
+$(TYPES):
+
+clean clean_docs: clean_html
+	rm -rf $(EXTRA_FILES)
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 # Release Target
 # ----------------------------------------------------
@@ -100,17 +106,18 @@ ifneq ($(CHUNK_FILES),)
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(CHUNK_FILES) "$(RELSYSDIR)/doc/chunks"
 endif
 
+release_man_spec: man
+ifneq ($(MAN1_DEPS),)
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) "$(RELSYS_MANDIR)/man1"
+	$(INSTALL_DIR_DATA) "$(MAN1DIR)" "$(RELSYS_MANDIR)/man1"
+endif
+
 release_docs_spec: $(DOC_TARGETS:%=release_%_spec)
 ifneq ($(STANDARDS),)
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) "$(RELEASE_PATH)/doc/standard"
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(STANDARDS) "$(RELEASE_PATH)/doc/standard"
 endif
 
-release_man_spec: man
-ifneq ($(wildcard man1/*.1),)
-	$(INSTALL_DIR) "$(RELSYS_MANDIR)/man1"
-	$(INSTALL_DIR_DATA) "$(MAN1DIR)" "$(RELSYS_MANDIR)/man1"
-endif
 
 release_spec: