diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2980a2df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# The order of packages is significant, because pip processes them in the order
+# of appearance. Changing the order has an impact on the overall integration
+# process, which may cause wedges in the gate later.
+
+sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2 # BSD
+openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
+reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
+fixtures>=3.0.0 # Apache-2.0/BSD
+doc8>=0.6.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index c8e19178..9df6c521 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -33,14 +33,5 @@ console_scripts =
 oslo.config.opts =
     oslo.config = oslo_config._list_opts:list_opts
 
-[build_sphinx]
-all-files = 1
-warning-is-error = 1
-source-dir = doc/source
-build-dir = doc/build
-
-[upload_sphinx]
-upload-dir = doc/build/html
-
 [wheel]
 universal = 1
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index ab8904a3..94e75fa5 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -14,10 +14,8 @@ oslotest>=3.2.0 # Apache-2.0
 #  deps = {[testenv]deps} coverage
 coverage!=4.4,>=4.0 # Apache-2.0
 
-# this is required for the docs build jobs
+# this is required for the sphinx extension
 sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2 # BSD
-openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
-reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
 
 # mocking framework
 mock>=2.0.0 # BSD
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index fa3c59e1..d766d8a2 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ commands =
 commands = {posargs}
 
 [testenv:docs]
-commands = python setup.py build_sphinx
+deps = -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
+commands =
+    sphinx-build -W -b html doc/source doc/build/html
 
 [testenv:bandit]
 commands = bandit -r oslo_config -x tests -n5
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ deps = pip_missing_reqs
 commands = pip-missing-reqs -d --ignore-module=oslo_config* --ignore-module=pkg_resources --ignore-file=oslo_config/tests/* --ignore-file=tests/ oslo_config
 
 [testenv:releasenotes]
+deps = -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 commands = sphinx-build -a -E -W -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
 
 [hacking]