diff --git a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/__init__.py b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/__init__.py
index e65eadcbbf90..5af13267b14d 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/__init__.py
+++ b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/__init__.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import sys
 from typing import Any, Dict
 
 from .md import Converter
+from . import manual
 from . import options
 
 def main() -> None:
@@ -12,9 +13,12 @@ def main() -> None:
     commands = parser.add_subparsers(dest='command', required=True)
 
     options.build_cli(commands.add_parser('options'))
+    manual.build_cli(commands.add_parser('manual'))
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
     if args.command == 'options':
         options.run_cli(args)
+    elif args.command == 'manual':
+        manual.run_cli(args)
     else:
         raise RuntimeError('command not hooked up', args)
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..361bc0877893
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs/manual.py
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+import argparse
+import json
+
+from abc import abstractmethod
+from collections.abc import MutableMapping, Sequence
+from typing import Any, cast, NamedTuple, Optional, Union
+from xml.sax.saxutils import escape, quoteattr
+from markdown_it.token import Token
+from markdown_it.utils import OptionsDict
+
+from .docbook import DocBookRenderer
+from .md import Converter
+
+class RenderedSection:
+    id: Optional[str]
+    chapters: list[str]
+
+    def __init__(self, id: Optional[str]) -> None:
+        self.id = id
+        self.chapters = []
+
+class BaseConverter(Converter):
+    _sections: list[RenderedSection]
+
+    def __init__(self, manpage_urls: dict[str, str]):
+        super().__init__(manpage_urls)
+        self._sections = []
+
+    def add_section(self, id: Optional[str], chapters: list[str]) -> None:
+        self._sections.append(RenderedSection(id))
+        for content in chapters:
+            self._md.renderer._title_seen = False # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            self._sections[-1].chapters.append(self._render(content))
+
+    @abstractmethod
+    def finalize(self) -> str: raise NotImplementedError()
+
+class ManualDocBookRenderer(DocBookRenderer):
+    # needed to check correctness of chapters.
+    # we may want to use front matter instead of this kind of heuristic.
+    _title_seen = False
+
+    def _heading_tag(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
+                     env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> tuple[str, dict[str, str]]:
+        (tag, attrs) = super()._heading_tag(token, tokens, i, options, env)
+        if self._title_seen:
+            if token.tag == 'h1':
+                raise RuntimeError("only one title heading allowed", token)
+            return (tag, attrs)
+        self._title_seen = True
+        return ("chapter", attrs | {
+            'xmlns': "http://docbook.org/ns/docbook",
+            'xmlns:xlink': "http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink",
+        })
+
+    # TODO minimize docbook diffs with existing conversions. remove soon.
+    def paragraph_open(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
+                       env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
+        return super().paragraph_open(token, tokens, i, options, env) + "\n "
+    def paragraph_close(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
+                        env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
+        return "\n" + super().paragraph_close(token, tokens, i, options, env)
+    def code_block(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
+                   env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
+        return f"<programlisting>\n{escape(token.content)}</programlisting>"
+    def fence(self, token: Token, tokens: Sequence[Token], i: int, options: OptionsDict,
+              env: MutableMapping[str, Any]) -> str:
+        info = f" language={quoteattr(token.info)}" if token.info != "" else ""
+        return f"<programlisting{info}>\n{escape(token.content)}</programlisting>"
+
+class DocBookConverter(BaseConverter):
+    __renderer__ = ManualDocBookRenderer
+
+    def finalize(self) -> str:
+        result = []
+
+        for section in self._sections:
+            id = "id=" + quoteattr(section.id) if section.id is not None else ""
+            result.append(f'<section {id}>')
+            result += section.chapters
+            result.append(f'</section>')
+
+        return "\n".join(result)
+
+
+
+class Section:
+    id: Optional[str] = None
+    chapters: list[str]
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.chapters = []
+
+class SectionAction(argparse.Action):
+    def __call__(self, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, ns: argparse.Namespace,
+                 values: Union[str, Sequence[Any], None], opt_str: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+        sections = getattr(ns, self.dest)
+        if sections is None: sections = []
+        sections.append(Section())
+        setattr(ns, self.dest, sections)
+
+class SectionIDAction(argparse.Action):
+    def __call__(self, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, ns: argparse.Namespace,
+                 values: Union[str, Sequence[Any], None], opt_str: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+        sections = getattr(ns, self.dest)
+        if sections is None: raise argparse.ArgumentError(self, "no active section")
+        sections[-1].id = cast(str, values)
+
+class ChaptersAction(argparse.Action):
+    def __call__(self, parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, ns: argparse.Namespace,
+                 values: Union[str, Sequence[Any], None], opt_str: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
+        sections = getattr(ns, self.dest)
+        if sections is None: raise argparse.ArgumentError(self, "no active section")
+        sections[-1].chapters.extend(cast(Sequence[str], values))
+
+def _build_cli_db(p: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
+    p.add_argument('--manpage-urls', required=True)
+    p.add_argument("outfile")
+    p.add_argument("--section", dest="contents", action=SectionAction, nargs=0)
+    p.add_argument("--section-id", dest="contents", action=SectionIDAction)
+    p.add_argument("--chapters", dest="contents", action=ChaptersAction, nargs='+')
+
+def _run_cli_db(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+    with open(args.manpage_urls, 'r') as manpage_urls:
+        md = DocBookConverter(json.load(manpage_urls))
+        for section in args.contents:
+            chapters = []
+            for p in section.chapters:
+                with open(p, 'r') as f:
+                    chapters.append(f.read())
+            md.add_section(section.id, chapters)
+        with open(args.outfile, 'w') as f:
+            f.write(md.finalize())
+
+def build_cli(p: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> None:
+    formats = p.add_subparsers(dest='format', required=True)
+    _build_cli_db(formats.add_parser('docbook'))
+
+def run_cli(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+    if args.format == 'docbook':
+        _run_cli_db(args)
+    else:
+        raise RuntimeError('format not hooked up', args)