diff --git a/man-db-cache-update.service b/man-db-cache-update.service
index 2f2f0d5..4ca914f 100644
--- a/man-db-cache-update.service
+++ b/man-db-cache-update.service
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ JobTimeoutSec=15min
 Type=oneshot
 TimeoutStartSec=infinity
 Environment=MAN_NO_LOCALE_WARNING=1
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/mandb
+EnvironmentFile=/etc/sysconfig/man-db
+ExecStart=/bin/sh -c '[ "$SERVICE" != "no" ] && /usr/bin/mandb $OPTS'
 Nice=19
 IOWeight=20
diff --git a/man-db.spec b/man-db.spec
index 42d28e9..3a4af90 100644
--- a/man-db.spec
+++ b/man-db.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 Summary: Tools for searching and reading man pages
 Name: man-db
 Version: 2.7.6.1
-Release: 8%{?dist}
+Release: 9%{?dist}
 # GPLv2+ .. man-db
 # GPLv3+ .. gnulib
 License: GPLv2+ and GPLv3+
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ fi
 %license docs/COPYING
 %doc README man-db-manual.txt man-db-manual.ps ChangeLog NEWS
 %config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/man_db.conf
+%config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/sysconfig/man-db
 %config(noreplace) /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/man-db.conf
 %{_unitdir}/man-db-cache-update.service
 %{_sbindir}/accessdb
@@ -171,9 +172,12 @@ fi
 
 %files cron
 %config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/cron.daily/man-db.cron
-%config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/sysconfig/man-db
 
 %changelog
+* Tue Nov 21 2017 Nikola Forró <nforro@redhat.com> - 2.7.6.1-9
+- allow configuration of man-db-cache-update service through sysconfig
+  resolves: #1514909
+
 * Tue Nov 21 2017 Nikola Forró <nforro@redhat.com> - 2.7.6.1-8
 - set group of /var/cache/man to root and drop setgid bit
   resolves: #1515823
diff --git a/man-db.sysconfig b/man-db.sysconfig
index 608446d..e7449df 100644
--- a/man-db.sysconfig
+++ b/man-db.sysconfig
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-# Set to no to disable daily man-db update by /etc/cron.daily/man-db.cron
+# Set this to "no" to disable man-db update triggered by installation
+# of any package containing manual pages
+SERVICE="yes"
+
+# Set this to "no" to disable daily man-db update run by
+# /etc/cron.daily/man-db.cron
 CRON="yes"
 
-# Options used by mandb in /etc/cron.daily/man-db.cron,
-# we use -q as default, too much noise without.
+# Options used by mandb, we use "-q" as default, too much noise without it
 OPTS="-q"