diff --git a/plugins/available/man.plugin.bash b/plugins/available/man.plugin.bash
index 0470d66908..33fd16843d 100644
--- a/plugins/available/man.plugin.bash
+++ b/plugins/available/man.plugin.bash
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 about-plugin 'colorize man pages for better readability'
 
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_mb:=$'\e[1;32m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_md:=$'\e[1;32m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_me:=$'\e[0m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_se:=$'\e[0m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_so:=$'\e[01;33m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_ue:=$'\e[0m'}"
-: "${LESS_TERMCAP_us:=$'\e[1;4;31m'}"
-
-: "${LESS:=}"
-export "${!LESS_TERMCAP@}"
-export LESS="--RAW-CONTROL-CHARS ${LESS}"
+alias man="\
+LESS_TERMCAP_mb=$'\e[1;32m' \
+LESS_TERMCAP_md=$'\e[1;32m' LESS_TERMCAP_me=$'\e[0m' \
+LESS_TERMCAP_se=$'\e[0m'    LESS_TERMCAP_so=$'\e[01;33m' \
+LESS_TERMCAP_ue=$'\e[0m'    LESS_TERMCAP_us=$'\e[1;4;31m' \
+LESS=--RAW-CONTROL-CHARS \man"