diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index f19f64ce3e0..dcabf40db4c 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -34,4 +34,5 @@ recursive-include hacking/build_library *.py
 include hacking/build-ansible.py
 include hacking/test-module.py
 include hacking/update-sanity-requirements.py
+include hacking/templates/*.j2
 include bin/*
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/man-page-build-docs-dependency.yml b/changelogs/fragments/man-page-build-docs-dependency.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3433785f3ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/man-page-build-docs-dependency.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - man page build - Remove the dependency on the ``docs`` directory for building man pages.
diff --git a/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/generate_man.py b/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/generate_man.py
index 3795c0d2f9b..a8c668a0c05 100644
--- a/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/generate_man.py
+++ b/hacking/build_library/build_ansible/command_plugins/generate_man.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from ..change_detection import update_file_if_different  # pylint: disable=relat
 from ..commands import Command  # pylint: disable=relative-beyond-top-level
 
 
-DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_FILE = pathlib.Path(__file__).parents[4] / 'docs/templates/man.j2'
+DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_FILE = pathlib.Path(__file__).parents[4] / 'hacking/templates/man.j2'
 
 
 # from https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0257/
diff --git a/docs/templates/man.j2 b/hacking/templates/man.j2
similarity index 100%
rename from docs/templates/man.j2
rename to hacking/templates/man.j2
diff --git a/packaging/pep517_backend/_backend.py b/packaging/pep517_backend/_backend.py
index f7c9226655b..cb7e365aa7a 100644
--- a/packaging/pep517_backend/_backend.py
+++ b/packaging/pep517_backend/_backend.py
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ def _generate_rst_in_templates() -> t.Iterable[Path]:
         sys.executable,
         'hacking/build-ansible.py',
         'generate-man',
-        '--template-file=docs/templates/man.j2',
         '--output-dir=docs/man/man1/',
         '--output-format=man',
         *Path('lib/ansible/cli/').glob('*.py'),