diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 0defd74a9c..3dd3995259 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ build_options = [
         'name': '--manpage-build',
         'desc': 'manpage generation',
         'func': check_ctx_vars('RST2MAN')
+    }, {
+        'name': '--html-build',
+        'desc': 'html manual generation',
+        'func': check_ctx_vars('RST2HTML'),
+        'default': 'disable',
     }, {
         'name': '--pdf-build',
         'desc': 'pdf manual generation',
@@ -924,6 +929,7 @@ def configure(ctx):
     ctx.find_program(pkg_config,  var='PKG_CONFIG')
     ctx.find_program(ar,          var='AR')
     ctx.find_program('perl',      var='BIN_PERL')
+    ctx.find_program('rst2html',  var='RST2HTML',  mandatory=False)
     ctx.find_program('rst2man',   var='RST2MAN',   mandatory=False)
     ctx.find_program('rst2pdf',   var='RST2PDF',   mandatory=False)
     ctx.find_program(windres,     var='WINDRES',   mandatory=False)
diff --git a/wscript_build.py b/wscript_build.py
index 46ff204b59..b6f76ae425 100644
--- a/wscript_build.py
+++ b/wscript_build.py
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ def _add_rst_manual_dependencies(ctx):
             ctx.path.find_node('DOCS/man/mpv.rst'),
             ctx.path.find_node(manpage_source))
 
+def _build_html(ctx):
+    ctx(
+        name         = 'rst2html',
+        target       = 'DOCS/man/mpv.html',
+        source       = 'DOCS/man/mpv.rst',
+        rule         = '${RST2HTML} ${SRC} ${TGT}',
+        install_path = ctx.env.DOCDIR)
+
+    _add_rst_manual_dependencies(ctx)
+
 def _build_man(ctx):
     ctx(
         name         = 'rst2man',
@@ -530,6 +540,9 @@ def build(ctx):
                 features     = 'c cshlib',
                 install_path = ctx.env.LIBDIR + '/mpv' )
 
+    if ctx.dependency_satisfied('html-build'):
+        _build_html(ctx)
+
     if ctx.dependency_satisfied('manpage-build'):
         _build_man(ctx)