diff --git a/doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix b/doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix
index 4fc9abea1..244cfa0c2 100644
--- a/doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix
+++ b/doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-command:
+{ command, renderLinks ? false }:
 
 with builtins;
 with import ./utils.nix;
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ let
            categories = sort (x: y: x.id < y.id) (unique (map (cmd: cmd.category) (attrValues def.commands)));
            listCommands = cmds:
              concatStrings (map (name:
-               "* [`${command} ${name}`](./${appendName filename name}.md) - ${cmds.${name}.description}\n")
+               "* "
+               + (if renderLinks
+                  then "[`${command} ${name}`](./${appendName filename name}.md)"
+                  else "`${command} ${name}`")
+               + " - ${cmds.${name}.description}\n")
                (attrNames cmds));
          in
          "where *subcommand* is one of the following:\n\n"
diff --git a/doc/manual/local.mk b/doc/manual/local.mk
index a8c52f841..e43d9f2fb 100644
--- a/doc/manual/local.mk
+++ b/doc/manual/local.mk
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ $(d)/src/SUMMARY.md: $(d)/src/SUMMARY.md.in $(d)/src/command-ref/new-cli
 
 $(d)/src/command-ref/new-cli: $(d)/nix.json $(d)/generate-manpage.nix $(bindir)/nix
 	@rm -rf $@
-	$(trace-gen) $(nix-eval) --write-to $@ --expr 'import doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix (builtins.readFile $<)'
+	$(trace-gen) $(nix-eval) --write-to $@ --expr 'import doc/manual/generate-manpage.nix { command = builtins.readFile $<; renderLinks = true; }'
 
 $(d)/src/command-ref/conf-file.md: $(d)/conf-file.json $(d)/generate-options.nix $(d)/src/command-ref/conf-file-prefix.md $(bindir)/nix
 	@cat doc/manual/src/command-ref/conf-file-prefix.md > $@.tmp
diff --git a/src/nix/main.cc b/src/nix/main.cc
index 8aaf08813..2c3976689 100644
--- a/src/nix/main.cc
+++ b/src/nix/main.cc
@@ -187,11 +187,14 @@ static void showHelp(std::vector<std::string> subcommand, MultiCommand & topleve
             , "/"),
         *vUtils);
 
-    auto vJson = state.allocValue();
+    auto vArgs = state.allocValue();
+    state.mkAttrs(*vArgs, 16);
+    auto vJson = state.allocAttr(*vArgs, state.symbols.create("command"));
     mkString(*vJson, toplevel.toJSON().dump());
+    vArgs->attrs->sort();
 
     auto vRes = state.allocValue();
-    state.callFunction(*vGenerateManpage, *vJson, *vRes, noPos);
+    state.callFunction(*vGenerateManpage, *vArgs, *vRes, noPos);
 
     auto attr = vRes->attrs->get(state.symbols.create(mdName + ".md"));
     if (!attr)