diff --git a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
index a99cbe2040..f19e04df4f 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
@@ -545,6 +545,10 @@ Optional @filepath{info.rkt} fields trigger additional actions by
      @item{@racket['no-search] : Build the document without a search
            box.}
 
+     @item{@racket['every-main-layer] : With @racket['main-doc],
+           indicates that the document should be rendered separately
+           at every installation layer (see @secref["layered-install"]).}
+
     ]
 
     The @racket[_category] list specifies how to show the document in
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/info.rkt b/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/info.rkt
index e1fd50aec2..75c507848a 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/info.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/info.rkt
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 #lang info
 
 (define scribblings
-  '(("start.scrbl"
-     (main-doc-root depends-all-main no-depend-on) (omit))
-    ("search.scrbl"         (depends-all-main no-depend-on) (omit) "search" 1 10)
-    ("local-redirect.scrbl" (depends-all-main no-depend-on) (omit) "local-redirect" 1 10)
+  '(("start.scrbl"   (main-doc-root depends-all-main no-depend-on) (omit))
+    ("search.scrbl"  (depends-all-main no-depend-on every-main-layer) (omit) "search" 1 10)
+    ("local-redirect.scrbl" (depends-all-main no-depend-on every-main-layer) (omit) "local-redirect" 1 10)
     ("license.scrbl" () (omit))
     ("acks.scrbl"    () (omit))
     ("release.scrbl" (depends-all-main no-depend-on) (omit))))
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/private/local-redirect.rkt b/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/private/local-redirect.rkt
index dd7d3f6af5..7a879eff4d 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/private/local-redirect.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-index/scribblings/main/private/local-redirect.rkt
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@
                [i (in-naturals)])
            (define name (extract-name e))
            (fprintf o (if (zero? i) "\n" ",\n"))
-           (fprintf o " [~s, ~s]" name (if user?
+           (fprintf o " [~s, ~s]" name (if (or user?
+                                               (not (immediately-in-doc-dir? e)))
                                            (url->string (path->url e))
                                            (format "../~a" name))))
          (fprintf o "];\n\n")
@@ -305,4 +306,8 @@
                (js-addition (string->url "local-user-redirect.js"))
                (js-addition
                 (string->bytes/utf-8 search-code))))
-    null)))
+     null)))
+
+(define (immediately-in-doc-dir? path)
+  (define-values (base name dir?) (split-path path))
+  (equal? (path->directory-path (find-doc-dir)) base))
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-index/setup/private/doc-path.rkt b/pkgs/racket-index/setup/private/doc-path.rkt
index 875c3de50f..c62c89cab3 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-index/setup/private/doc-path.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-index/setup/private/doc-path.rkt
@@ -23,12 +23,13 @@
              (memq 'main-doc flags)
              (pair? (path->main-collects-relative dir)))
          (and main?
-              ;; check for existing directory in search path before
-              ;; assuming the main doc directory
-              (or (for/or ([dir (get-doc-search-dirs)])
-                    (define p (build-path dir name))
-                    (and (directory-exists? p)
-                         p))
+              ;; check for existing directory in search path (unless
+              ;; 'every-main-layer) before assuming the main doc directory
+              (or (and (not (memq 'every-main-layer flags))
+                       (for/or ([dir (get-doc-extra-search-dirs)])
+                         (define p (build-path dir name))
+                         (and (directory-exists? p)
+                              p)))
                   (build-path (find-doc-dir) name)))]
         [else 
          (and (not (eq? 'never user-doc-mode))
diff --git a/pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt b/pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
index 21ab76f247..92a9bd7631 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-index/setup/scribble.rkt
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@
   (define (scribblings-flag? sym)
     (memq sym '(main-doc main-doc-root user-doc-root user-doc multi-page
                          depends-all depends-all-main depends-all-user
-                         no-depend-on always-run keep-style no-search)))
+                         no-depend-on always-run keep-style no-search
+                         every-main-layer)))
   (define (validate-scribblings-infos infos)
     (define (validate path [flags '()] [cat '(library)] [name #f] [out-count 1] [order-hint 0])
       (and (string? path) (relative-path? path)