diff --git a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/builders/manpage.py b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/builders/manpage.py
index a6281f79..c558f737 100644
--- a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/builders/manpage.py
+++ b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/builders/manpage.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ from docutils.frontend import OptionParser
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx.errors import SphinxError
 from sphinx.builders import Builder
-from sphinx.environment import NoUri
 from sphinx.util.nodes import inline_all_toctrees
 from sphinx.util.console import bold, darkgreen
 from sphinx.writers.manpage import ManualPageWriter
@@ -56,8 +55,6 @@ class CyrusManualPageBuilder(ManualPageBuilder):
             components=(docwriter,),
             read_config_files=True).get_default_values()
 
-        self.info(bold('writing... '), nonl=True)
-
         for info in self.config.man_pages:
             docname, name, description, authors, section = info
             if isinstance(authors, string_types):
@@ -67,7 +64,6 @@ class CyrusManualPageBuilder(ManualPageBuilder):
                     authors = []
 
             targetname = '%s.%s' % (name, section)
-            self.info(darkgreen(targetname) + ' { ', nonl=True)
             destination = FileOutput(
                 destination_path=path.join(self.outdir, targetname),
                 encoding='utf-8')
@@ -76,7 +72,6 @@ class CyrusManualPageBuilder(ManualPageBuilder):
             docnames = set()
             largetree = inline_all_toctrees(self, docnames, docname, tree,
                                             darkgreen, [docname])
-            self.info('} ', nonl=True)
             self.env.resolve_references(largetree, docname, self)
             # remove pending_xref nodes
             for pendingnode in largetree.traverse(addnodes.pending_xref):
@@ -89,7 +84,6 @@ class CyrusManualPageBuilder(ManualPageBuilder):
             largetree.settings.section = section
 
             docwriter.write(largetree, destination)
-        self.info()
 
 def setup(app):
     app.add_builder(CyrusManualPageBuilder)
diff --git a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/roles/saslman.py b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/roles/saslman.py
index f881d98f..bcafeece 100644
--- a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/roles/saslman.py
+++ b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/roles/saslman.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ from string import Template
 import re
 
 def setup(app):
-    app.info('Initializing saslman plugin')
     app.add_crossref_type('saslman', 'saslman', '%s', nodes.generated)
     return
 
diff --git a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/writers/manpage.py b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/writers/manpage.py
index 463524a4..3a939ec0 100644
--- a/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/writers/manpage.py
+++ b/docsrc/exts/sphinxlocal/writers/manpage.py
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@
 """
 
 from docutils import nodes
+from time import strftime
+
 from sphinx.writers.manpage import (
-    MACRO_DEF,
     ManualPageWriter,
     ManualPageTranslator as BaseTranslator
 )
@@ -22,7 +23,5 @@ from sphinx.writers.manpage import (
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx.locale import admonitionlabels, _
-from sphinx.util.osutil import ustrftime
-from sphinx.util.compat import docutils_version
 
 class CyrusManualPageWriter(ManualPageWriter):
 
@@ -68,15 +68,12 @@ class CyrusManualPageTranslator(BaseTranslator):
         if builder.config.today:
             self._docinfo['date'] = builder.config.today
         else:
-            self._docinfo['date'] = ustrftime(builder.config.today_fmt
+            self._docinfo['date'] = strftime(builder.config.today_fmt
                                               or _('%B %d, %Y'))
         self._docinfo['copyright'] = builder.config.copyright
         self._docinfo['version'] = builder.config.version
         self._docinfo['manual_group'] = builder.config.project
 
-        # since self.append_header() is never called, need to do this here
-        self.body.append(MACRO_DEF)
-
         # overwritten -- don't wrap literal_block with font calls
         self.defs['literal_block'] = ('.sp\n.nf\n', '\n.fi\n')