diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 487f6954e..1e5fc465f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ TEST_REQUIRES_ROOT_PACKAGES=$(filter \
 
 # Project binaries.
 COMMANDS=ctr containerd containerd-stress
-MANBINARIES=ctr containerd containerd-stress
 MANPAGES=ctr.1 containerd.1 containerd-config.1 containerd-config.toml.5
 
 ifdef BUILDTAGS
@@ -204,10 +203,8 @@ man: mandir $(addprefix man/,$(MANPAGES))
 mandir:
 	@mkdir -p man
 
-genman: $(addprefix genman/,$(MANBINARIES))
-
-genman/%: bin/% FORCE
-	"$<" gen-man --format man man/
+genman: FORCE
+	go run cmd/gen-manpages/main.go man/
 
 man/%: docs/man/%.md FORCE
 	@echo "$(WHALE) $<"
diff --git a/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go b/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
index b842df333..9ef058b90 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd-stress/main.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/namespaces"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/climan"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/plugin"
 	metrics "github.com/docker/go-metrics"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	app.Commands = []cli.Command{
 		densityCommand,
-		climan.Command,
 	}
 	app.Action = func(context *cli.Context) error {
 		config := config{
diff --git a/cmd/containerd/main.go b/cmd/containerd/main.go
index d258c9500..10bde45bd 100644
--- a/cmd/containerd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/containerd/main.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/containerd/command"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/climan"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/seed"
 )
 
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ func init() {
 
 func main() {
 	app := command.App()
-	app.Commands = append(app.Commands, climan.Command)
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "containerd: %s\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/cmd/ctr/main.go b/cmd/ctr/main.go
index 9db84d22d..cf72de28e 100644
--- a/cmd/ctr/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ctr/main.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/ctr/app"
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/climan"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/pkg/seed"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli"
 )
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ func init() {
 func main() {
 	app := app.New()
 	app.Commands = append(app.Commands, pluginCmds...)
-	app.Commands = append(app.Commands, climan.Command)
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ctr: %s\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/cmd/gen-manpages/main.go b/cmd/gen-manpages/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..610dd3ddb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/gen-manpages/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/*
+   Copyright The containerd Authors.
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/containerd/command"
+	"github.com/containerd/containerd/cmd/ctr/app"
+	"github.com/urfave/cli"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	if err := run(); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
+
+func run() error {
+	flag.Parse()
+	apps := map[string]*cli.App{
+		"containerd": command.App(),
+		"ctr":        app.New(),
+	}
+	dir := flag.Arg(0)
+	for name, app := range apps {
+		// clear out the usage as we use banners that do not display in man pages
+		app.Usage = ""
+		data, err := app.ToMan()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("%s.1", name)), []byte(data), 0644); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/climan/cli.go b/pkg/climan/cli.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 4302b28a3..000000000
--- a/pkg/climan/cli.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,75 +0,0 @@
-/*
-   Copyright The containerd Authors.
-
-   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-   You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-   limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package climan
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"path/filepath"
-
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"github.com/urfave/cli"
-)
-
-var Command = cli.Command{
-	Name:   "gen-man",
-	Usage:  "generate man pages for the cli application",
-	Hidden: true,
-	Flags: []cli.Flag{
-		cli.StringFlag{
-			Name:  "format,f",
-			Usage: "specify the format in (md:man)",
-			Value: "md",
-		},
-		cli.IntFlag{
-			Name:  "section,s",
-			Usage: "section of the man pages",
-			Value: 1,
-		},
-	},
-	Action: func(clix *cli.Context) (err error) {
-		// clear out the usage as we use banners that do not display in man pages
-		clix.App.Usage = ""
-		dir := clix.Args().First()
-		if dir == "" {
-			return errors.New("directory argument is required")
-		}
-		var (
-			data string
-			ext  string
-		)
-		switch clix.String("format") {
-		case "man":
-			data, err = clix.App.ToMan()
-		default:
-			data, err = clix.App.ToMarkdown()
-			ext = "md"
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		return ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, formatFilename(clix, clix.Int("section"), ext)), []byte(data), 0644)
-	},
-}
-
-func formatFilename(clix *cli.Context, section int, ext string) string {
-	s := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d", clix.App.Name, section)
-	if ext != "" {
-		s += "." + ext
-	}
-	return s
-}