diff --git a/INSTALL.rst b/INSTALL.rst
index 602a5fcc..827da4cd 100644
--- a/INSTALL.rst
+++ b/INSTALL.rst
@@ -230,6 +230,13 @@ instance ``--without-modulepath``):
 
 --with-tclsh=BIN      Name or full path of Tcl interpreter shell
                       (default=\ ``tclsh``)
+--with-pager=BIN      Name or full path of default pager program to use to
+                      paginate informational message output (can be super-
+                      seeded at run-time by environment variable)
+                      (default=\ ``less``)
+--with-pager-opts=OPTLIST
+                      Settings to apply to default pager program
+                      (default=\ ``-eFKRX``)
 --with-modulepath=PATHLIST
                       Default path list to setup as the default modulepaths.
                       Each path in this list should be separated by ``:``.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9499139c..47267061 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -102,6 +102,8 @@ sed -e 's|@prefix@|$(prefix)|g' \
 	-e 's|@modulefilesdir@|$(modulefilesdir)|g' \
 	-e 's|@TCLSHDIR@/tclsh|$(TCLSH)|g' \
 	-e 's|@TCLSH@|$(TCLSH)|g' \
+	-e 's|@pager@|$(pager)|g' \
+	-e 's|@pageropts@|$(pageropts)|g' \
 	-e 's|@MODULES_RELEASE@|$(MODULES_RELEASE)|g' \
 	-e 's|@MODULES_BUILD@|$(MODULES_BUILD)|g' \
 	-e 's|@MODULES_RPM_RELEASE@|$(MODULES_RPM_RELEASE)|g' \
diff --git a/Makefile.inc.in b/Makefile.inc.in
index 0093585a..5ab0d91a 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc.in
+++ b/Makefile.inc.in
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ setdotmodulespath := @setdotmodulespath@
 docinstall := @docinstall@
 examplemodulefiles := @examplemodulefiles@
 
+# pager setup
+pager := @pager@
+pageropts := @pageropts@
+
 # command location
 TCLSH := @TCLSH@
 SPHINXBUILD := @SPHINXBUILD@
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4113077c..348611ce 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ targetlist="${progdir}/Makefile.inc ${progdir}/site.exp"
 # argument list
 arglist="TCLSH SPHINXBUILD prefix bindir libexecdir initdir datarootdir \
 mandir docdir modulefilesdir setmanpath setbinpath setdotmodulespath \
-docinstall examplemodulefiles compatversion modulepath loadedmodules"
+docinstall examplemodulefiles compatversion pager pageropts modulepath \
+loadedmodules"
 compatarglist=
 
 # flags to know if argument has been specified on command-line
 defdotmodulespath=1
 defcompatversion=1
+defpageropts=1
 
 # set argument default values
 prefix=/usr/local/Modules
@@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ compatversion=y
 loadedmodules=
 TCLSH=tclsh
 SPHINXBUILD=sphinx-build
+pager=less
+pageropts='-eFKRX'
 # these args are initialized here but as they depend on other argument value
 # they will get their default value later (after command-line parse)
 bindir=
@@ -123,6 +127,11 @@ Optional Packages:
   --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]    use PACKAGE [ARG=yes]
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
   --with-tclsh=BIN        name or full path of Tcl interpreter shell [tclsh]
+  --with-pager=BIN        name or full path of default pager program to use to
+                          paginate informational message output (can be super-
+                          seeded at run-time by environment variable) [$pager]
+  --with-pager-opts=OPTLIST
+                          settings to apply to default pager program [$pageropts]
   --with-modulepath=PATHLIST
                           default modulepaths to set in default configuration
                           file to be enabled (each path in PATHLIST should
@@ -247,6 +256,11 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
       defcompatversion=0 ;;
    --with-tclsh=*|--without-tclsh)
       tclshbin=$(get_package_value "$arg") ;;
+   --with-pager=*|--without-pager)
+      pager=$(get_package_value "$arg") ;;
+   --with-pager-opts=*|--without-pager-opts)
+      pageropts=$(get_package_value "$arg")
+      defpageropts=0 ;;
    --with-modulepath=*|--without-modulepath)
       modulepath=$(get_package_value "$arg") ;;
    --with-loadedmodules=*|--without-loadedmodules)
@@ -294,6 +308,18 @@ fi
 check_requirement $tclshbin '' '' 'PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/bin'
 TCLSH=$reqpath
 
+# get pager program location from standard PATHs or /usr/local/bin
+# or validate location passed as argument
+if [ -n "$pager" ]; then
+   check_requirement $pager '' '' 'PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/bin'
+   pager=$reqpath
+fi
+# adapt pager program settings dependings of specified args
+if [ $defpageropts -eq 1 -a "${pager##*/}" != 'less' ]; then
+    pageropts=''
+    echo_warning "As chosen pager is not \`less', default pager options are cleared"
+fi
+
 # check feature requirements are met
 if [ "$setdotmodulespath" = 'y' -a -n "$loadedmodules" ]; then
    featmesg="As \`setdotmodulespath' is enabled beware that \`loadedmodules' may be ignored by init scripts"
diff --git a/contrib/rpm/environment-modules.spec.in b/contrib/rpm/environment-modules.spec.in
index 69e3190f..dbbbea90 100644
--- a/contrib/rpm/environment-modules.spec.in
+++ b/contrib/rpm/environment-modules.spec.in
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ BuildRequires:  hostname
 BuildRequires:  tcl-devel, tclx-devel, libX11-devel
 Requires:       tcl
 Requires:       sed
+Requires:       less
 %if 0%{?rhel} && 0%{?rhel} <= 6
 Requires:       procps
 Requires:       man
diff --git a/modulecmd.tcl.in b/modulecmd.tcl.in
index 6ae3a683..4419e4a4 100755
--- a/modulecmd.tcl.in
+++ b/modulecmd.tcl.in
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ set flag_default_dir 1 ;# Report default directories
 set flag_default_mf 1 ;# Report default modulefiles and version alias
 set reportfd "stderr" ;# File descriptor to use to report messages
 
-set g_pager "less" ;# Default command to page into, set empty to disable
-set g_pager_opts "-eFKRX" ;# Options to pass to the pager command
+set g_pager "@pager@" ;# Default command to page into, empty=disable
+set g_pager_opts "@pageropts@" ;# Options to pass to the pager command
 
 # Used to tell if a machine is running Windows or not
 proc isWin {} {
diff --git a/site.exp.in b/site.exp.in
index e02ddc59..c39900c0 100644
--- a/site.exp.in
+++ b/site.exp.in
@@ -13,3 +13,6 @@ set install_compatversion "@compatversion@"
 set install_setmanpath "@setmanpath@"
 set install_setbinpath "@setbinpath@"
 set install_examplemodulefiles "@examplemodulefiles@"
+
+set install_pager "@pager@"
+set install_pageropts "@pageropts@"
diff --git a/testsuite/modules.00-init/100-pager.exp b/testsuite/modules.00-init/100-pager.exp
index 6786232b..bec1fbbb 100644
--- a/testsuite/modules.00-init/100-pager.exp
+++ b/testsuite/modules.00-init/100-pager.exp
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@
 #
 ##############################################################################
 
-set pager_dft_cmd "less"
-set pager_dft_opts "-eFKRX"
+if {$install_pager eq "" || [file tail $install_pager] eq "cat"} {
+    set pager_dfl_use 0
+} else {
+    set pager_dfl_use 1
+}
 
 # helper proc to generate pager test and expected debugging output
 proc pager_test_case {modarg use asked cmd opts} {
-    global MODULECMD env
+    global MODULECMD env install_pager install_pageropts
 
     if {$modarg ne ""} {
         set modarg " $modarg"
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ proc pager_test_case {modarg use asked cmd opts} {
     set ans [list]
     lappend ans "DEBUG CALLING $MODULECMD sh -V -D$modarg"
 
-    if {[info exists env(LESS)]} {
+    if {[info exists env(LESS)] && $install_pageropts ne "" & [file tail $install_pager] eq "less"} {
         lappend ans "DEBUG initPager: clear 'less' pager options as LESS variable defined"
     }
     foreach envvar [list MODULES_PAGER PAGER] {
@@ -54,9 +57,9 @@ proc pager_test_case {modarg use asked cmd opts} {
 #
 
 # vanilla test, no related-env variable set
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $pager_dft_cmd $pager_dft_opts
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $pager_dft_cmd $pager_dft_opts
-pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $pager_dft_cmd $pager_dft_opts
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $install_pager $install_pageropts
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $install_pager $install_pageropts
+pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $install_pager $install_pageropts
 
 # play with LESS env variable
 set opts "-K"
@@ -64,18 +67,26 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup LESS = '$opts'\n"
 }
 set env(LESS) $opts
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $pager_dft_cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $pager_dft_cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $pager_dft_cmd ""
+if {[file tail $install_pager] eq "less"} {
+    set opts ""
+} else {
+    set opts $install_pageropts
+}
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $install_pager $opts
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $install_pager $opts
+pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $install_pager $opts
 
 set opts ""
 if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup LESS = '$opts'\n"
 }
 set env(LESS) $opts
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $pager_dft_cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $pager_dft_cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $pager_dft_cmd ""
+if {[file tail $install_pager] ne "less"} {
+    set opts $install_pageropts
+}
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $install_pager $opts
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $install_pager $opts
+pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $install_pager $opts
 
 if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tUnset LESS\n"
@@ -89,8 +100,8 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup PAGER = '$cmd'\n"
 }
 set env(PAGER) $cmd
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $cmd ""
 pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $cmd ""
 
 set cmd ""
@@ -125,8 +136,8 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup PAGER = '$cmd'\n"
 }
 set env(PAGER) $cmd
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $cmd ""
 pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $cmd ""
 
 set cmd "/usr/bin/less"
@@ -134,8 +145,8 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup PAGER = '$cmd'\n"
 }
 set env(PAGER) $cmd
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $cmd ""
 pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $cmd ""
 
 set cmd "less"
@@ -144,8 +155,8 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
     send_user "\tSetup PAGER = '$cmd $opts'\n"
 }
 set env(PAGER) "$cmd $opts"
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $cmd $opts
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $cmd $opts
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $cmd $opts
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $cmd $opts
 pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $cmd $opts
 
 set cmd "/usr/bin/less"
@@ -155,8 +166,8 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
 }
 unset env(LESS)
 set env(PAGER) $cmd
-pager_test_case "" 1 "-" $cmd ""
-pager_test_case "--paginate" 1 "1" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "" $pager_dfl_use "-" $cmd ""
+pager_test_case "--paginate" $pager_dfl_use "1" $cmd ""
 pager_test_case "--no-pager" 0 "0" $cmd ""
 
 
@@ -227,9 +238,7 @@ if { $verbose > 0 } {
 unset env(LESS)
 unset env(MODULES_PAGER)
 
-unset pager_dft_cmd
-unset pager_dft_opts
-
+unset pager_dfl_use
 unset opts
 unset cmd