diff --git a/cde/databases/CDE-MAN.udb b/cde/databases/CDE-MAN.udb
index fed33d470..69159990a 100644
--- a/cde/databases/CDE-MAN.udb
+++ b/cde/databases/CDE-MAN.udb
@@ -1288,6 +1288,10 @@ doc/C/man/man4/mwmrc.4
 	install_target = /usr/dt/man
 	type = sym_link
 }
+{ freebsd
+	install_target = /usr/dt/man
+	type = sym_link
+}
 #
 ./share/catman
 { uxp
diff --git a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/ManSearchPath.C b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/ManSearchPath.C
index a1cc948f2..96abf0dd3 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/ManSearchPath.C
+++ b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/ManSearchPath.C
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@ ManSearchPath::ManSearchPath
 	const char *     sep
 	) : SearchPath(user, envvar, sep)
 {
-#if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-    /* Installer on FreeBSD sets up man configuration so that
-     * setting MANPATH is not necessary
-     */
-    if (!user->OS()->MANPATH().isNull()) {
-#endif
     if (user->DTMANPATH())
 	search_path = user->FactoryManPath() + "," + *user->DTMANPATH();
     else
@@ -61,9 +55,6 @@ ManSearchPath::ManSearchPath
 
     NormalizePath();
     TraversePath();
-#if defined(__FreeBSD__)
-    }
-#endif
 }
 
 
@@ -97,6 +88,22 @@ void ManSearchPath::MakePath
     }
 }
 
+#if defined(__FreeBSD__)
+/*****************************************************************
+ *  useSystemPath()
+ *
+ *         Check whether to leave MANPATH unmodified (or unset)
+ *
+ */
+int ManSearchPath::useSystemPath()
+{
+     if (user->OS()->getEnvironmentVariable("MANPATH").isNull()) {
+       return 1;
+     } else {
+       return 0;
+     }
+}
+#endif
 
 /*****************************************************************
  *  ExportPath()
@@ -106,9 +113,11 @@ void ManSearchPath::MakePath
  *****************************************************************/
 void ManSearchPath::ExportPath()
 {
-    CString env(GetEnvVar());
-    user->OS()->shell()->putToEnv(env,
+    if (!useSystemPath()) {
+      CString env(GetEnvVar());
+      user->OS()->shell()->putToEnv(env,
 		       final_search_path.data());
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -116,7 +125,7 @@ void ManSearchPath::Print()
 {
     printf("%s:\n", GetEnvVar());
     CString sp(GetSearchPath());
-    if (!sp.isNull()) {
+    if (!useSystemPath() && !sp.isNull()) {
 	CTokenizedString path (sp,Separator().data());
 	CString subpath = path.next();
 	while (!subpath.isNull()) {
diff --git a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.C b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.C
index f0dd4a0e6..5e9d3f835 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.C
+++ b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.C
@@ -329,6 +329,19 @@ int SearchPath::validSearchPath
     return 0;
 }
 
+/*********************************************************************
+ *  useSystemPath()
+ *
+ *    This member function verifies whether system environment variable
+ *    should be left unmodified, since some other configuraton mechanism
+ *    is in effect.
+ *
+ */
+int SearchPath::useSystemPath()
+{
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /*****************************************************************
  *  ExportPath()
  *
@@ -340,7 +353,9 @@ void SearchPath::ExportPath()
     CString env(environment_var);
     env += "SEARCHPATH";
 
-    user->OS()->shell()->putToEnv(env, final_search_path.data());
+    if (!useSystemPath()) {
+      user->OS()->shell()->putToEnv(env, final_search_path.data());
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -354,7 +369,7 @@ void SearchPath::Print()
 {
     printf("%sSEARCHPATH:\n", GetEnvVar());
     CString sp(GetSearchPath());
-    if (!sp.isNull()) {
+    if (!useSystemPath() && !sp.isNull()) {
 	CTokenizedString path (sp,Separator().data());
 	CString subpath = path.next();
 	while (!subpath.isNull()) {
diff --git a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.h b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.h
index 0902590fd..ee0750da6 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.h
+++ b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/dtsp/SearchPath.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ class SearchPath {
   CString Separator() const    { return separator; }
 
   virtual int validSearchPath (const CString &) const;
+  virtual int useSystemPath();
 
   void    setSeparator (const char * sep) { separator = sep; }
 
@@ -193,6 +194,9 @@ class ManSearchPath : public SearchPath {
 
  protected:
   virtual void    MakePath (const CString &);
+#if defined(__FreeBSD__)
+  virtual int     useSystemPath();
+#endif
 
  private:
 };
diff --git a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/libCliSrv/UnixEnv.C b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/libCliSrv/UnixEnv.C
index 9b34e8582..e00bb2c52 100644
--- a/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/libCliSrv/UnixEnv.C
+++ b/cde/programs/dtsearchpath/libCliSrv/UnixEnv.C
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ UnixEnvironment::UnixEnvironment()
 #elif defined(__OpenBSD__)
 	manpath = "/usr/share/man:/usr/X11R6/man:/usr/local/man:/usr/ports/infrastructure/man";
 #elif defined(__FreeBSD__)
-	manpath = temp;
+	manpath = "/usr/share/man:/usr/local/man";
 #endif
     else
 	manpath = temp;