diff --git a/bin/ansible-doc b/bin/ansible-doc
index 59d14b6ef14..36db3dff42d 100755
--- a/bin/ansible-doc
+++ b/bin/ansible-doc
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def pager(text):
             pager_print(text)
         else:
             pager_pipe(text, os.environ['PAGER'])
-    elif hasattr(os, 'system') and os.system('(less) 2> /dev/null') == 0:
+    elif subprocess.call('(less --version) 2> /dev/null', shell = True) == 0:
         pager_pipe(text, 'less')
     else:
         pager_print(text)