diff --git a/md2man/roff.go b/md2man/roff.go
index 02af759..e65dc59 100644
--- a/md2man/roff.go
+++ b/md2man/roff.go
@@ -96,7 +96,23 @@ func (r *roffRenderer) RenderNode(w io.Writer, node *blackfriday.Node, entering
 
 	switch node.Type {
 	case blackfriday.Text:
-		escapeSpecialChars(w, node.Literal)
+		// Special case: format the NAME section as required for proper whatis parsing.
+		// Refer to the lexgrog(1) and groff_man(7) manual pages for details.
+		if node.Parent != nil &&
+			node.Parent.Type == blackfriday.Paragraph &&
+			node.Parent.Prev != nil &&
+			node.Parent.Prev.Type == blackfriday.Heading &&
+			node.Parent.Prev.FirstChild != nil &&
+			bytes.EqualFold(node.Parent.Prev.FirstChild.Literal, []byte("NAME")) {
+			before, after, found := bytes.Cut(node.Literal, []byte(" - "))
+			escapeSpecialChars(w, before)
+			if found {
+				out(w, ` \- `)
+				escapeSpecialChars(w, after)
+			}
+		} else {
+			escapeSpecialChars(w, node.Literal)
+		}
 	case blackfriday.Softbreak:
 		out(w, crTag)
 	case blackfriday.Hardbreak:
@@ -138,7 +154,7 @@ func (r *roffRenderer) RenderNode(w io.Writer, node *blackfriday.Node, entering
 		if r.listDepth > 0 {
 			return blackfriday.GoToNext
 		}
-		if entering {
+		if entering && (node.Prev == nil || node.Prev.Type != blackfriday.Heading) {
 			out(w, paraTag)
 		} else {
 			out(w, crTag)
diff --git a/md2man/roff_test.go b/md2man/roff_test.go
index 5bda3ac..4bf0a5c 100644
--- a/md2man/roff_test.go
+++ b/md2man/roff_test.go
@@ -421,6 +421,20 @@ func TestComments(t *testing.T) {
 	doTestsInlineParam(t, inlineTests, TestParams{})
 }
 
+func TestHeadings(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []string{
+		"# title\n\n# NAME\ncommand - description\n\n# SYNOPSIS\nA short description\n\nWhich spans multiple paragraphs\n",
+		".nh\n.TH title\n\n.SH NAME\ncommand \\- description\n\n\n.SH SYNOPSIS\nA short description\n\n.PP\nWhich spans multiple paragraphs\n",
+
+		"# title\n\n# Name\nmy-command, other - description - with - hyphens\n",
+		".nh\n.TH title\n\n.SH Name\nmy-command, other \\- description - with - hyphens\n",
+
+		"# title\n\n# Not NAME\nsome - other - text\n",
+		".nh\n.TH title\n\n.SH Not NAME\nsome - other - text\n",
+	}
+	doTestsInline(t, tests)
+}
+
 func execRecoverableTestSuite(t *testing.T, tests []string, params TestParams, suite func(candidate *string)) {
 	// Catch and report panics. This is useful when running 'go test -v' on
 	// the integration server. When developing, though, crash dump is often