diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
index c36ed59d80..338b7846d9 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ flags:
  @item{@DFlag{avoid-main} --- refrain from any setup actions that
   affect the installation, as opposed to user-specific actions.}
 
+ @item{@DFlag{force-user-docs} --- when building documentation, create
+  a user-specific documentation entry point even if it has the same
+  content as the main installation.}
+
 ]}
 @item{Selecting parallelism and other build modes:
 @itemize[
@@ -277,9 +281,10 @@ collections during an install:
 
    @commandline{env PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS="-j 1" make install}
 
-@history[#:changed "1.2" @elem{Added the @DFlag{pkgs},
+@history[#:changed "6.1" @elem{Added the @DFlag{pkgs},
                                @DFlag{check-pkg-deps}, and
-                               @DFlag{fail-fast} flags.}]
+                               @DFlag{fail-fast} flags.}
+         #:changed "6.1.1" @elem{Added the @DFlag{force-user-docs} flag.}]
 
 @; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -742,6 +747,7 @@ Optional @filepath{info.rkt} fields trigger additional actions by
                 [#:avoid-main? avoid-main? any/c #f]
                 [#:make-docs? make-docs? any/c #t]
                 [#:make-doc-index? make-doc-index? any/c #f]
+                [#:force-user-docs? force-user-docs? any/c #f]
                 [#:clean? clean? any/c #f]
                 [#:tidy? tidy? any/c #f]
                 [#:jobs jobs exact-nonnegative-integer? #f]
@@ -770,10 +776,14 @@ Runs @exec{raco setup} with various options:
  @item{@racket[make-docs?] --- if @racket[#f], disables any
        documentation-specific setup actions}
 
- @item{@racket[make-doc-index?] --- if @racket[#t], builds
+ @item{@racket[make-doc-index?] --- if true, builds
        documentation index collections in addition to @racket[collections],
        assuming that documentation is built}
 
+ @item{@racket[force-user-docs?] --- if true, then when building
+       documentation, create a user-specific documentation entry point
+       even if it has the same content as the installation}
+
  @item{@racket[clean?] --- if true, enables cleaning mode instead of setup mode}
 
  @item{@racket[tidy?] --- if true, enables global tidying of
@@ -792,7 +802,11 @@ Runs @exec{raco setup} with various options:
 ]
 
 The result is @racket[#t] if @exec{raco setup} completes without error,
-@racket[#f] otherwise.}
+@racket[#f] otherwise.
+
+@history[#:changed "6.1" @elem{Added the @racket[fail-fast?] argument.}
+         #:changed "6.1.1" @elem{Added the @racket[force-user-docs?] argument.}]}
+
 
 
 @subsection{@exec{raco setup} Unit}
@@ -1637,3 +1651,23 @@ the regexp matches @racket[(path->string sys-lib-subpath)],
 
 Like @racket[load-xref], but automatically find all cross-reference files for
 manuals that have been installed with @exec{raco setup}.}
+
+@; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@section[#:tag "materialize-user-docs"]{API for Materializing User-Specific Documentation}
+
+@defmodule[setup/materialize-user-docs]
+
+@history[#:added "1.1"]
+
+@defproc[(materialize-user-docs [on-setup ((-> boolean?) -> any) (lambda (setup) (setup))])
+         void?]{
+
+Checks whether a user-specific documentation entry point already
+exists with @racket[(find-user-doc-dir)], and if not, runs @exec{raco
+setup} in a mode that will create the entry point (to have the same
+content as the installation's documentation entry point.)
+
+The run of @exec{raco setup} is packaged in a thunk that is provided to
+@racket[on-setup], which can adjust the current output and error ports
+as appropriate and check the thunk's result for success.}
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/info.rkt b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/info.rkt
index c7b9826422..e7cc090b93 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/info.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/info.rkt
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 (define pkg-authors '(eli jay matthias mflatt robby ryanc samth))
 
+(define version "1.1")
+
 ;; We need to be able to re-render this documentation even in
 ;; binary mode, since that's how we list new documentation:
 (define binary-keep-files '("scribblings"
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/materialize-user-docs.rkt b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/materialize-user-docs.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39515442dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/materialize-user-docs.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(require setup/setup
+         setup/dirs)
+
+(provide materialize-user-docs)
+
+(define (materialize-user-docs [wrap-setup (lambda (t) (t))])
+  (unless (file-exists? (build-path (find-user-doc-dir) "index.html"))
+    (wrap-setup
+     (lambda ()
+       (setup #:avoid-main? #t
+              #:make-doc-index? #t
+              #:force-user-docs? #t)))
+    (void)))
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
index 2ea94dee6d..8ff32d1194 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
@@ -89,11 +89,13 @@
 (define (info<? a b)
   (doc<? (info-doc a) (info-doc b)))
 
-(define (filter-user-docs docs make-user?)
+(define (filter-user-docs docs make-user? always-user?)
   (cond ;; Specifically disabled user stuff, filter
    [(not make-user?) (filter main-doc? docs)]
    ;; If we've built user-specific before, keep building
-   [(file-exists? (build-path (find-user-doc-dir) "index.html")) docs]
+   [(or always-user?
+        (file-exists? (build-path (find-user-doc-dir) "index.html")))
+    docs]
    ;; Otherwise, see if we need it:
    [(ormap (lambda (doc)
              (not (or (doc-under-main? doc)
@@ -137,9 +139,9 @@
          program-name       ; name of program that calls setup-scribblings
          only-dirs          ; limits doc builds
          latex-dest         ; if not #f, generate Latex output
-         auto-start-doc?    ; if #t, expands `only-dir' with [user-]start to
-                                        ;  catch new docs
+         auto-start-doc?    ; if #t, expands `only-dir' with [user-]start to catch new docs
          make-user?         ; are we making user stuff?
+         always-user?       ; make user-specific even if otherwise unneeded
          tidy?              ; clean up, even beyond `only-dirs'
          avoid-main?        ; avoid main collection, even for `tidy?'
          with-record-error  ; catch & record exceptions
@@ -221,7 +223,8 @@
                          (values k #t))]
             [infos (map get-info/full (map directory-record-path recs))])
        (filter-user-docs (append-map (get-docs main-dirs) infos recs)
-                         make-user?))
+                         make-user?
+                         always-user?))
      doc<?))
   (define-values (main-docs user-docs) (partition doc-under-main? docs))
   (define main-doc-exists? (ormap (lambda (d) (member 'main-doc-root (doc-flags d))) 
@@ -272,7 +275,8 @@
                               (and tidy? (not avoid-main?)))))
   (define auto-user? (and auto-start-doc? 
                           (or (ormap can-build*? user-docs)
-                              (and tidy? make-user?))))
+                              (and tidy? make-user?)
+                              always-user?)))
   (define (can-build**? doc) (can-build? only-dirs doc auto-main? auto-user?))
   
   (unless latex-dest
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/option.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/option.rkt
index 434e13ad39..c1aa581b35 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/option.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/option.rkt
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 (define-flag-param make-user #t)
 (define-flag-param make-planet #t)
 (define-flag-param avoid-main-installation #f)
+(define-flag-param force-user-docs #f)
 (define-flag-param make-tidy #f)
 (define-flag-param make-doc-index #f)
 (define-flag-param check-dependencies #t)
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.rkt
index 4e5bddf4a0..e8675797ff 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/setup-cmdline.rkt
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@
       (add-flags '((make-planet #f)))]
      [("--avoid-main") "Do not make main-installation files"
       (add-flags '((avoid-main-installation #t)))]
+     [("--force-user-docs") "User-specific documentation even if matching installation"
+      (add-flags '((force-user-docs #t)))]
      #:help-labels
      " ------------------------------ modes ------------------------------ "
      #:once-each
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/setup-core.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/setup-core.rkt
index a01b3ce92d..08bb97bcbe 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/setup-core.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/setup-core.rkt
@@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@
               (parallel-workers)
               name-str
               (if no-specific-collections? #f (map cc-path ccs-to-compile))
-              latex-dest auto-start-doc? (make-user)
+              latex-dest auto-start-doc? (make-user) (force-user-docs)
               (make-tidy) (avoid-main-installation)
               (lambda (what go alt) (record-error what "building docs" go alt))
               setup-printf))
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
index f2dc219ae3..3aa4df8aa3 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
                #:clean? [clean? #f]
                #:tidy? [tidy? #f]
                #:avoid-main? [avoid-main? #f]
+               #:force-user-docs? [force-user-docs? #f]
                #:jobs [parallel #f]
                #:fail-fast? [fail-fast? #f])
   (parameterize 
@@ -47,6 +48,8 @@
 
     [avoid-main-installation (if avoid-main? #t (avoid-main-installation))]
 
+    [force-user-docs (if force-user-docs? #t (force-user-docs))]
+
     [fail-fast fail-fast?]
     
     [clean (if clean? #t (clean))]