diff --git a/less.spec b/less.spec
index 3b6aeea..5274b73 100644
--- a/less.spec
+++ b/less.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Summary: A text file browser similar to more, but better
 Name: less
 Version: 481
-Release: 3%{?dist}
+Release: 4%{?dist}
 License: GPLv3+ or BSD
 Group: Applications/Text
 Source: http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ Patch9: less-458-less-filters-man.patch
 Patch10: less-458-lesskey-usage.patch
 Patch11: less-458-old-bot-in-help.patch
 URL: http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less/
-Requires: groff-base
-Requires: man-db
 BuildRequires: ncurses-devel
 BuildRequires: autoconf automake libtool
 
@@ -67,6 +65,9 @@ install -p -m 644 %{SOURCE3} $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/etc/profile.d
 %{_mandir}/man1/*
 
 %changelog
+* Wed Apr 20 2016 Pavel Raiskup <praiskup@redhat.com> - 481-4
+- don't strictly require man-db or groff-base (rhbz#1278857)
+
 * Tue Mar 29 2016 Pavel Raiskup <praiskup@redhat.com> - 481-3
 - avoid one ubiquitous stat() call in less.sh and less.csh if possible
   (rhbz#1321591)
diff --git a/lesspipe.sh b/lesspipe.sh
index 682f09e..d61dc4c 100755
--- a/lesspipe.sh
+++ b/lesspipe.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,24 @@ if [ -x ~/.lessfilter ]; then
 	fi
 fi
 
+manfilter ()
+{
+	if test -x /usr/bin/man ; then
+		# See rhbz#1241543 for more info.  Well, actually we firstly
+		# used 'man -l', then we switched to groff, and then we again
+		# switched back to 'man -l'.
+		/usr/bin/man -P /usr/bin/cat -l "$1"
+	elif test -x /usr/bin/groff; then
+		# This is from pre-rhbz#1241543-time.
+		groff -Tascii -mandoc "$1" | cat -s
+	else
+		echo "WARNING:"
+		echo "WARNING: to better show manual pages, install 'man-db' package"
+		echo "WARNING:"
+		cat "$1"
+	fi
+}
+
 export MAN_KEEP_FORMATTING=1
 
 case "$1" in
@@ -40,12 +58,12 @@ case "$1" in
 	*.xz|*.lzma)	DECOMPRESSOR="xz -dc" ;;
 	esac
 	if [ -n "$DECOMPRESSOR" ] && $DECOMPRESSOR -- "$1" | file - | grep -q troff; then
-		$DECOMPRESSOR -- "$1" | man -P cat -l -
+		$DECOMPRESSOR -- "$1" | manfilter -
 		exit $?
 	fi ;;&
 *.[1-9n]|*.[1-9]x|*.man)
 	if file "$1" | grep -q troff; then
-		man -P cat -l "$1"
+		manfilter "$1"
 		exit $?
 	fi ;;&
 *.tar) tar tvvf "$1"; exit $? ;;