diff --git a/src/analyze/analyze-verify-util.c b/src/analyze/analyze-verify-util.c
index ce572ce4619..eed997ce45a 100644
--- a/src/analyze/analyze-verify-util.c
+++ b/src/analyze/analyze-verify-util.c
@@ -232,9 +232,13 @@ static int verify_documentation(Unit *u, bool check_man) {
                 if (check_man && startswith(*p, "man:")) {
                         k = show_man_page(*p + 4, true);
                         if (k != 0) {
-                                if (k < 0)
-                                        log_unit_error_errno(u, k, "Can't show %s: %m", *p + 4);
-                                else {
+                                if (k < 0) {
+                                        const char *hint = "";
+
+                                        if (find_executable("man", /* ret_filename= */ NULL) == -ENOENT)
+                                                hint = ", man may not be installed, pass --man=no to skip";
+                                        log_unit_error_errno(u, k, "Can't show %s%s: %m", *p + 4, hint);
+                                } else {
                                         log_unit_error(u, "Command 'man %s' failed with code %d", *p + 4, k);
                                         k = -ENOEXEC;
                                 }
diff --git a/test/units/TEST-65-ANALYZE.sh b/test/units/TEST-65-ANALYZE.sh
index 05a7b7f0c16..2cf0cb750f5 100755
--- a/test/units/TEST-65-ANALYZE.sh
+++ b/test/units/TEST-65-ANALYZE.sh
@@ -491,6 +491,19 @@ systemd-analyze verify /tmp/multi-exec-start.service
 echo 'ExecStart=command-should-not-exist' >>/tmp/multi-exec-start.service
 (! systemd-analyze verify /tmp/multi-exec-start.service)
 
+# test that a missing man binary is reported as such, and that --man=no skips the check.
+cat <<EOF >/tmp/man-documentation.service
+[Unit]
+Documentation=man:systemd(1)
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/bin/true
+EOF
+(! env PATH=/nonexistent "$(command -v systemd-analyze)" verify /tmp/man-documentation.service 2>/tmp/man-documentation.log)
+grep "man may not be installed" /tmp/man-documentation.log >/dev/null
+env PATH=/nonexistent "$(command -v systemd-analyze)" verify --man=no /tmp/man-documentation.service
+
 # Prevent regression from #20233 where systemd-analyze will return nonzero exit codes on warnings
 
 # Unit file with warning "Unknown key name 'foo' in section 'Unit', ignoring"