diff --git a/manual/LaTeX.Rules b/manual/LaTeX.Rules
index 5a1e58589a..cfe43b055c 100644
--- a/manual/LaTeX.Rules
+++ b/manual/LaTeX.Rules
@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ OTHER_FILES := $(DOCUMENT).blg $(DOCUMENT).log $(DOCUMENT).out
 INDEX_ARGS := -s mkidx.ist
 LATEXOPTS := -interaction=nonstopmode
 
+# program to pipe stdout through. Note: this needs to start with a pipe symbol
+# to not make the command fail if no filter is defined.
+ifndef V
+LATEXFILTER := | ./latexfilter.pl
+else
+LATEXFILTER := | ./latexfilter.pl -v
+endif
+
 # grab the contents of \bibliograph{} commands
 ifeq ($(BIB_FILES),)
 	BIB_FILES := $(shell for source in $(TEX_FILES) ; do sed -e '{' -e 'y/,/ /' -e 's?.*\\bibliography[{]\(.*\)[}].*?\1?' -e 't' -e 'd' -e '}' <$$source ; done)
@@ -222,7 +230,7 @@ define run-latex
 	makeobsolete() { touch -r $$(ls *.old | tail -n 1) $${1} ; true ; } ; \
 	nochange() { for file ; do [ ! -f $${1} ] || cmp $${1} $${1}.old >/dev/null || return ; done ; true ; } ; \
 	saveold $(MONITOR_FILES) ; \
-	if $(LATEX) $(LATEXOPTS) $* ; then \
+	if $(LATEX) $(LATEXOPTS) $* $(LATEXFILTER) ; then \
 	   if nochange $(MONITOR_FILES) ; then \
 	      echo "$(MAKE): LaTeX auxiliary files did not change (processing is complete)" ; \
 	      restoreold $(MONITOR_FILES) ; \
@@ -267,7 +275,7 @@ $(PDF_FILE) : %.pdf : $(TEX_FILES) $(MONITOR_FILES) $(GRAPHIC_FILES) $(XFIG_TEX)
 #
 
 %.aux %.idx : $(XFIG_TEX)
-	$(LATEX) $(LATEXOPTS) $*
+	$(LATEX) $(LATEXOPTS) $* $(LATEXFILTER)
 
 #
 # Distill xfig .fig files into .fig.tex and either .fig.pdf or .fig.ps
diff --git a/manual/latexfilter.pl b/manual/latexfilter.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..45d7cedbdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manual/latexfilter.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -s
+#
+#             __________               __   ___.
+#   Open      \______   \ ____   ____ |  | _\_ |__   _______  ___
+#   Source     |       _//  _ \_/ ___\|  |/ /| __ \ /  _ \  \/  /
+#   Jukebox    |    |   (  <_> )  \___|    < | \_\ (  <_> > <  <
+#   Firmware   |____|_  /\____/ \___  >__|_ \|___  /\____/__/\_ \
+#                     \/            \/     \/    \/            \/
+#
+
+my $verbose = $v;
+my $reflowed = "";
+my $last = "";
+my $currentfile;
+while(<STDIN>) {
+    chomp $_;
+    $reflowed .= $_;
+    if(/^.{79,}$/) {
+        # collapse all "full" lines
+    }
+    elsif(/^!/) {
+        # collapse lines indicating an error with next one and append a space.
+        $reflowed .= " ";
+    }
+    else {
+        # skip empty lines
+        if(length($reflowed) > 0) {
+            # collapse with previous line if it continues some "area".
+            if($reflowed =~ /^\s*(\]|\[|\\|\)|<)/) {
+                $last .= $reflowed;
+            }
+            else {
+                # find current input file
+                my @inputfile = $last =~ /\(([a-zA-Z_\-\/\.]+\.tex)/g;
+                foreach(@inputfile) {
+                    if($verbose) {
+                        print "\n";
+                    }
+                    print "LaTeX processing $_\n";
+                    $currentfile = $_;
+                }
+                if($verbose) {
+                    print $last;
+                }
+                # check for error
+                if($reflowed =~ /^!\s*(.*)/) {
+                    my $l = $reflowed;
+                    $l =~ s/^!\s*(.*)l.(\d+) /$2: $1/;
+                    print "$currentfile:$l\n";
+                }
+                # restart for next reflowed line
+                $last = $reflowed;
+            }
+        }
+        # restart reflowing.
+        $reflowed = "";
+    }
+}
+if($verbose) {
+    print $last;
+}
+