diff --git a/manual/build.py b/manual/build.py
index 103a0ceef5..ff2d139c5d 100755
--- a/manual/build.py
+++ b/manual/build.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env calibre-debug
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8
 from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
                         print_function)
@@ -6,18 +6,17 @@ from __future__ import (unicode_literals, division, absolute_import,
 __license__ = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2014, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
 
+import sys, os, subprocess, shutil
 import tempfile
 from functools import partial
 
-from calibre import __appname__, __version__
-from calibre.utils.icu import upper  # ensure encoding is set to utf-8
-del upper
-import sys, os, subprocess, shutil
-
-SPHINX_BUILD = 'sphinx-build2'
-
 j, d, a = os.path.join, os.path.dirname, os.path.abspath
 BASE = d(a(__file__))
+SPHINX_BUILD = 'sphinx-build2'
+
+sys.path.insert(0, d(BASE))
+from setup import __appname__, __version__
+del sys.path[0]
 
 
 def sphinx_build(language, base, builder='html', bdir='html', t=None, quiet=True, very_quiet=False):
diff --git a/manual/conf.py b/manual/conf.py
index edd999e340..9e03a1a67e 100644
--- a/manual/conf.py
+++ b/manual/conf.py
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ import sys, os
 from datetime import date
 
 # If your extensions are in another directory, add it here.
-sys.path.append(os.path.abspath('.'))
-import init_calibre
-init_calibre
-from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__
+sys.path.append(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(sys.path[-1]))
+from setup import __appname__, __version__
 import calibre.utils.localization as l  # Ensure calibre translations are installed
+del sys.path[0]
 del l
 import custom
 custom
diff --git a/manual/custom.py b/manual/custom.py
index e769d97c38..c8bf5fbffa 100644
--- a/manual/custom.py
+++ b/manual/custom.py
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@
 
 __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2008, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>'
-import sys, os, re, textwrap
+import os, re, textwrap
 from functools import partial
 import init_calibre
 del init_calibre
 
 from sphinx.util.console import bold
 
-sys.path.append(os.path.abspath('../../../'))
 from calibre.linux import entry_points, cli_index_strings
 from epub import EPUBHelpBuilder
 from latex import LaTeXHelpBuilder
diff --git a/setup/publish.py b/setup/publish.py
index b6b669d6ab..cc3cc5e0b9 100644
--- a/setup/publish.py
+++ b/setup/publish.py
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ class Manual(Command):
         os.environ['ALL_USER_MANUAL_LANGUAGES'] = ' '.join(languages)
         for language in languages:
             jobs.append(([
-                'calibre-debug', self.j(self.d(self.SRC), 'manual', 'build.py'),
-                '--', language, self.j(tdir, language)
+                sys.executable, self.j(self.d(self.SRC), 'manual', 'build.py'),
+                language, self.j(tdir, language)
             ], '\n\n**************** Building translations for: %s' % language))
         self.info('Building manual for %d languages' % len(jobs))
         subprocess.check_call(jobs[0][0])
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ class ManPages(Command):
         jobs = []
         for l in languages:
             jobs.append((
-                ['calibre-debug', self.j(base, 'build.py'), '--', '--man-pages', l, dest],
+                [sys.executable, self.j(base, 'build.py'), '--man-pages', l, dest],
                 '\n\n**************** Building translations for: %s' % l)
             )
         self.info('\tCreating man pages in {} for {} languages...'.format(dest, len(jobs)))