diff --git a/tests/manpage-syntax.pl b/tests/manpage-syntax.pl
index a6c934b588..7457c7d44c 100755
--- a/tests/manpage-syntax.pl
+++ b/tests/manpage-syntax.pl
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 use strict;
 use warnings;
+use File::Basename;
 
 # get the file name first
 my $symbolsinversions=shift @ARGV;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ my $symbolsinversions=shift @ARGV;
 my @manpages=@ARGV;
 my $errors = 0;
 
+my %docsdirs;
 my %optblessed;
 my %funcblessed;
 my @optorder = (
@@ -90,6 +92,31 @@ sub allsymbols {
     close($f);
 }
 
+
+my %ref = (
+    'curl.1' => 1
+    );
+sub checkref {
+    my ($f, $sec, $file, $line)=@_;
+    my $present = 0;
+    #print STDERR "check $f.$sec\n";
+    if($ref{"$f.$sec"}) {
+        # present
+        return;
+    }
+    foreach my $d (keys %docsdirs) {
+        if( -f "$d/$f.$sec") {
+            $present = 1;
+            $ref{"$f.$sec"}=1;
+            last;
+        }
+    }
+    if(!$present) {
+        print STDERR "$file:$line broken reference to $f($sec)\n";
+        $errors++;
+    }
+}
+
 sub scanmanpage {
     my ($file) = @_;
     my $reqex = 0;
@@ -142,10 +169,10 @@ sub scanmanpage {
                 my $f = $1;
                 if($f =~ /^(lib|)curl/i) {
                     $f =~ s/[\n\r]//g;
-                    if($f =~ s/([a-z_0-9-]*) \([13]\)([, ]*)//i) {
-                        push @separators, $2;
+                    if($f =~ s/([a-z_0-9-]*) \(([13])\)([, ]*)//i) {
+                        push @separators, $3;
                         push @sepline, $line;
-
+                        checkref($1, $2, $file, $line);
                     }
                     if($f !~ /^ *$/) {
                         print STDERR "$file:$line bad SEE ALSO format\n";
@@ -196,6 +223,15 @@ sub scanmanpage {
                 $errors++;
             }
         }
+        my $c = $_;
+        while($c =~ s/\\f([BI])((lib|)curl[a-z_0-9-]*)\(([13])\)//i) {
+            checkref($2, $4, $file, $line);
+        }
+        if(($_ =~ /\\f([BI])((libcurl|CURLOPT_|CURLSHOPT_|CURLINFO_|CURLMOPT_|curl_easy_|curl_multi_|curl_url|curl_mime|curl_global|curl_share)[a-zA-Z_0-9-]+)(.)/) &&
+           ($4 ne "(")) {
+            print STDERR "$file:$line curl ref to $2 without section\n";
+            $errors++;
+        }
         if($_ =~ /(.*)\\f([^BIP])/) {
             my ($pre, $format) = ($1, $2);
             if($pre !~ /\\\z/) {
@@ -204,8 +240,16 @@ sub scanmanpage {
                 $errors++;
             }
         }
+        if(($SH =~ /^(DESCRIPTION|RETURN VALUE|AVAILABILITY)/i) &&
+           ($_ =~ /(.*)((curl_multi|curl_easy|curl_url|curl_global|curl_url|curl_share)[a-zA-Z_0-9-]+)/) &&
+           ($1 !~ /\\fI$/)) {
+            print STDERR "$file:$line unrefed curl call: $2\n";
+            $errors++;
+        }
+
+
         if($optpage && $SH && ($SH !~ /^(SYNOPSIS|EXAMPLE|NAME|SEE ALSO)/i) &&
-           ($_ =~ /(.*)(CURL(OPT_|MOPT_|INFO_)[A-Z0-9_]*)/)) {
+           ($_ =~ /(.*)(CURL(OPT_|MOPT_|INFO_|SHOPT_)[A-Z0-9_]*)/)) {
             # an option with its own man page, check that it is tagged
             # for linking
             my ($pref, $symbol) = ($1, $2);
@@ -221,16 +265,6 @@ sub scanmanpage {
             print STDERR "$file:$line trailing whitespace\n";
             $errors++;
         }
-        if($_ =~ /\\f([BI])([^\\]*)\\fP/) {
-            my $r = $2;
-            if($r =~ /^(CURL.*)\(3\)/) {
-                my $rr = $1;
-                if(!$symbol{$rr}) {
-                    print STDERR "$file:$line link to non-libcurl option $rr!\n";
-                    $errors++;
-                }
-            }
-        }
         $line++;
     }
     close($m);
@@ -332,6 +366,10 @@ for my $s (@funcorder) {
     $funcblessed{$s} = $ind++
 }
 
+for my $m (@manpages) {
+    $docsdirs{dirname($m)}++;
+}
+
 for my $m (@manpages) {
     scanmanpage($m);
 }