diff --git a/man-pages.spec b/man-pages.spec
index 65d7c3d..7311778 100644
--- a/man-pages.spec
+++ b/man-pages.spec
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 Summary: Linux kernel and C library user-space interface documentation
 Name: man-pages
 Version: 5.04
-Release: 4%{?dist}
+Release: 5%{?dist}
 License: GPL+ and GPLv2+ and BSD and MIT and Copyright only and IEEE
 URL: http://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/
 Source: http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/docs/man-pages/man-pages-%{version}.tar.xz
@@ -90,6 +90,10 @@ popd
 mv %{buildroot}%{_mandir}/man7/man.7 %{buildroot}%{_mandir}/man7/man.%{name}.7
 touch %{buildroot}%{_mandir}/man7/man.7
 
+%pre
+# remove alternativized files if they are not symlinks
+[ -L %{_mandir}/man7/man.7.gz ] || rm -f %{_mandir}/man7/man.7.gz
+
 %post
 # set up the alternatives files
 %{_sbindir}/update-alternatives --install %{_mandir}/man7/man.7.gz man.7.gz %{_mandir}/man7/man.%{name}.7.gz 300 \
@@ -114,6 +118,9 @@ fi
 %{_mandir}/man*/*
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Feb 28 2020 Nikola Forró <nforro@redhat.com> - 5.04-5
+- fix upgrades from non-alternativized versions
+
 * Thu Feb 27 2020 Nikola Forró <nforro@redhat.com> - 5.04-4
 - use alternatives for man.7