diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26ef9b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# this is required for the docs build jobs
+sphinx>=1.6.2 # BSD
+openstackdocstheme>=1.17.0 # Apache-2.0
+reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
+fixtures>=3.0.0 # Apache-2.0/BSD
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index df193c27..6e4389a4 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ ddt>=1.0.1 # MIT
 #  deps = {[testenv]deps} coverage
 coverage!=4.4,>=4.0 # Apache-2.0
 
-# this is required for the docs build jobs
-sphinx>=1.6.2 # BSD
-openstackdocstheme>=1.17.0 # Apache-2.0
-
 # mocking framework
 mock>=2.0.0 # BSD
 
@@ -28,5 +24,3 @@ oslo.config>=5.1.0 # Apache-2.0
 
 # Bandit security code scanner
 bandit>=1.1.0 # Apache-2.0
-
-reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 5044eb11..ed1dd2c1 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ commands =
 commands = {posargs}
 
 [testenv:docs]
-commands = python setup.py build_sphinx
+deps = -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
+commands = sphinx-build -b html doc/source doc/build/html
 
 [testenv:cover]
 commands = python setup.py test --coverage --coverage-package-name=oslo_utils --testr-args='{posargs}'
@@ -42,4 +43,5 @@ deps = pip_missing_reqs
 commands = pip-missing-reqs -d --ignore-module=oslo_utils* --ignore-module=pkg_resources --ignore-file=oslo_utils/test.py --ignore-file=oslo_utils/tests/* oslo_utils
 
 [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