diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index df3b22dc..dae6240b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -185,18 +185,27 @@ if(GENERATE_MANPAGES)
             OUTPUT  ${manfile}
             WORKING_DIRECTORY ${BUILD_DIR}/manpages
             DEPENDS ${xmlfile})
-        add_custom_command(
-            COMMAND ${GZIP_EXECUTABLE} < ${manfile} > ${gzfile}
-            OUTPUT  ${gzfile}
-            WORKING_DIRECTORY ${BUILD_DIR}/manpages
-            DEPENDS ${manfile}
-            VERBATIM)
 
-        set(MAN_FILES ${MAN_FILES} ${gzfile})
+        if(COMPRESS_MANPAGES)
+            add_custom_command(
+                COMMAND ${GZIP_EXECUTABLE} < ${manfile} > ${gzfile}
+                OUTPUT  ${gzfile}
+                WORKING_DIRECTORY ${BUILD_DIR}/manpages
+                DEPENDS ${manfile}
+                VERBATIM)
+
+            set(MAN_FILES ${MAN_FILES} ${gzfile})
+        else()
+            set(MAN_FILES ${MAN_FILES} ${manfile})
+        endif()
 
         # figure out in what section to install to from filename
         string(REGEX REPLACE "^.*\\.([0-9])\\.gz\$" "\\1" section ${gzfile})
-        set(AWE_MAN${section}_FILES ${AWE_MAN${section}_FILES} ${gzfile})
+        if(COMPRESS_MANPAGES)
+            set(AWE_MAN${section}_FILES ${AWE_MAN${section}_FILES} ${gzfile})
+        else()
+            set(AWE_MAN${section}_FILES ${AWE_MAN${section}_FILES} ${manfile})
+        endif()
     endforeach()
 
     add_custom_target(man ALL DEPENDS ${MAN_FILES})
diff --git a/awesomeConfig.cmake b/awesomeConfig.cmake
index d459866d..883933c8 100644
--- a/awesomeConfig.cmake
+++ b/awesomeConfig.cmake
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE RELEASE)
 
 option(WITH_DBUS "build with D-BUS" ON)
 option(GENERATE_MANPAGES "generate manpages" ON)
+option(COMPRESS_MANPAGES "generate manpages" ON)
 option(GENERATE_LUADOC "generate luadoc" ON)
 
 link_directories(/usr/local/lib)
@@ -69,14 +70,14 @@ include(FindLua51) #Due to a cmake bug, you will see Lua50 on screen
 
 # {{{ Check if documentation can be build
 if(GENERATE_MANPAGES)
-    if(NOT ASCIIDOC_EXECUTABLE OR NOT XMLTO_EXECUTABLE OR NOT GZIP_EXECUTABLE)
+    if(NOT ASCIIDOC_EXECUTABLE OR NOT XMLTO_EXECUTABLE OR (COMPRESS_MANPAGES AND NOT GZIP_EXECUTABLE))
         if(NOT ASCIIDOC_EXECUTABLE)
             SET(missing "asciidoc")
         endif()
         if(NOT XMLTO_EXECUTABLE)
             SET(missing ${missing} " xmlto")
         endif()
-        if(NOT GZIP_EXECUTABLE)
+        if(COMPRESS_MANPAGES AND NOT GZIP_EXECUTABLE)
             SET(missing ${missing} " gzip")
         endif()