diff --git a/multimedia/ffmpeg-devel/Portfile b/multimedia/ffmpeg-devel/Portfile
index e3519137dca32..7f23594330673 100644
--- a/multimedia/ffmpeg-devel/Portfile
+++ b/multimedia/ffmpeg-devel/Portfile
@@ -153,8 +153,11 @@ configure.cflags-append \
 set port_sharedir   ${prefix}/share
 set port_docdir     ${port_sharedir}/doc
 
-configure.args-append \
+configure.pre_args-append \
                     --cc="${configure.cc}" \
+                    --mandir=${prefix}/share/man
+
+configure.args-append \
                     --disable-audiotoolbox \
                     --disable-indev=jack \
                     --disable-libjack \
@@ -193,8 +196,7 @@ configure.args-append \
                     --enable-pthreads \
                     --enable-shared \
                     --enable-swscale \
-                    --enable-zlib \
-                    --mandir=${prefix}/share/man
+                    --enable-zlib
 
 post-extract {
     # fix file perms; tarball contents deny group and world read
diff --git a/multimedia/ffmpeg/Portfile b/multimedia/ffmpeg/Portfile
index f193f695695b0..35b94554d8d6a 100644
--- a/multimedia/ffmpeg/Portfile
+++ b/multimedia/ffmpeg/Portfile
@@ -153,8 +153,11 @@ configure.cflags-append \
 set port_sharedir   ${prefix}/share
 set port_docdir     ${port_sharedir}/doc
 
-configure.args-append \
+configure.pre_args-append \
                     --cc="${configure.cc}" \
+                    --mandir=${prefix}/share/man
+
+configure.args-append \
                     --disable-audiotoolbox \
                     --disable-indev=jack \
                     --disable-libjack \
@@ -193,8 +196,7 @@ configure.args-append \
                     --enable-pthreads \
                     --enable-shared \
                     --enable-swscale \
-                    --enable-zlib \
-                    --mandir=${prefix}/share/man
+                    --enable-zlib
 
 post-extract {
     # fix file perms; tarball contents deny group and world read