diff --git a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manpage.py b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manpage.py
index 8adae2c8a0b0..5a16884a67df 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manpage.py
+++ b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manpage.py
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ class List:
 class ManpageRenderer(Renderer):
     __output__ = "man"
 
+    # whether to emit mdoc .Ql equivalents for inline code or just the contents. this is
+    # mainly used by the options manpage converter to not emit extra quotes in defaults
+    # and examples where it's already clear from context that the following text is code.
+    inline_code_is_quoted: bool = True
+
     _href_targets: dict[str, str]
 
     _do_parbreak_stack: list[bool]
@@ -141,7 +146,8 @@ class ManpageRenderer(Renderer):
         return " "
     def code_inline(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
                     env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
-        return _protect_spaces(man_escape(token.content))
+        s = _protect_spaces(man_escape(token.content))
+        return f"\\fR\\(oq{s}\\(cq\\fP" if self.inline_code_is_quoted else s
     def code_block(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
                    env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
         return self.fence(token, tokens, i, options, env)
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/options.py b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/options.py
index 364fb6dc2c3a..a613ada1e68b 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/options.py
+++ b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/options.py
@@ -291,7 +291,12 @@ class ManpageConverter(BaseConverter):
         if lit := option_is(option, key, 'literalDocBook'):
             raise RuntimeError("can't render manpages in the presence of docbook")
         else:
-            return super()._render_code(option, key)
+            assert isinstance(self._md.renderer, OptionsManpageRenderer)
+            try:
+                self._md.renderer.inline_code_is_quoted = False
+                return super()._render_code(option, key)
+            finally:
+                self._md.renderer.inline_code_is_quoted = True
 
     def _render_description(self, desc: str | dict[str, Any]) -> list[str]:
         if isinstance(desc, str) and not self._markdown_by_default:
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_manpage.py b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_manpage.py
index 409c292fd5e4..5bd374dba406 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_manpage.py
+++ b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/tests/test_manpage.py
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ class Converter(nixos_render_docs.md.Converter):
 
 def test_inline_code() -> None:
     c = Converter({})
-    assert c._render("1  `x  a  x`  2") == "1 x  a  x 2"
+    assert c._render("1  `x  a  x`  2") == "1 \\fR\\(oqx  a  x\\(cq\\fP 2"
 
 def test_fonts() -> None:
     c = Converter({})
     assert c._render("*a **b** c*") == "\\fIa \\fBb\\fI c\\fR"
-    assert c._render("*a [1 `2`](3) c*") == "\\fIa \\fB1 2\\fI c\\fR"
+    assert c._render("*a [1 `2`](3) c*") == "\\fIa \\fB1 \\fR\\(oq2\\(cq\\fP\\fI c\\fR"
 
 def test_expand_link_targets() -> None:
     c = Converter({}, { '#foo1': "bar", "#foo2": "bar" })