diff --git a/doc/usage/configuration.rst b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
index 18eae9c1902..705e541a57b 100644
--- a/doc/usage/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
@@ -402,6 +402,12 @@ General configuration
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.7
 
+
+.. confval:: man_skip_desc_subtitle
+
+   If true, Sphinx manpage builder will not generate a descriptive subtitle
+   for each man page. Default is ``False``.
+
 .. confval:: nitpicky
 
    If true, Sphinx will warn about *all* references where the target cannot be
diff --git a/sphinx/config.py b/sphinx/config.py
index 553aa74d6a7..fd7ebb68c36 100644
--- a/sphinx/config.py
+++ b/sphinx/config.py
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ class Config:
         'needs_sphinx': (None, None, [str]),
         'needs_extensions': ({}, None, []),
         'manpages_url': (None, 'env', []),
+        'man_skip_desc_subtitle': (False, 'env', []),
         'nitpicky': (False, None, []),
         'nitpick_ignore': ([], None, []),
         'nitpick_ignore_regex': ([], None, []),
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/manpage.py b/sphinx/writers/manpage.py
index 95e0f5658da..b0cf27bbf79 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/manpage.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/manpage.py
@@ -113,8 +113,9 @@ def __init__(self, document: nodes.document, builder: Builder) -> None:
     def header(self) -> str:
         tmpl = (".TH \"%(title_upper)s\" \"%(manual_section)s\""
                 " \"%(date)s\" \"%(version)s\" \"%(manual_group)s\"\n"
-                ".SH NAME\n"
-                "%(title)s \\- %(subtitle)s\n")
+                ".SH NAME\n")
+        if (not self.config.man_skip_desc_subtitle):
+            tmpl += "%(title)s \\- %(subtitle)s\n"
         return tmpl % self._docinfo
 
     def visit_start_of_file(self, node: Element) -> None: