diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..336e4666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2,<2.0.0;python_version=='2.7' # BSD
+sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,!=2.1.0,>=1.6.2;python_version>='3.4' # BSD
+openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
+reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
+testtools>=2.2.0 # MIT
+testrepository>=0.0.18 # Apache-2.0/BSD
+testscenarios>=0.4 # Apache-2.0/BSD
+
+# The below is rewquired to build testing module reference
+mock>=2.0.0 # BSD
+
+# Include horizon as test requirement
+horizon
+
+selenium>=2.50.1 # Apache-2.0
+xvfbwrapper>=0.1.3 #license: MIT
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 4c16c96c..a9a70ae8 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -29,12 +29,6 @@ api_doc_dir = contributor/api
 packages =
     ironic_ui
 
-[build_sphinx]
-source-dir = doc/source
-build-dir = doc/build
-all_files = 1
-warning-is-error = 1
-
 [upload_sphinx]
 upload-dir = doc/build/html
 
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 5a9e360b..bf39b00f 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@ testrepository>=0.0.18 # Apache-2.0/BSD
 testscenarios>=0.4 # Apache-2.0/BSD
 testtools>=2.2.0 # MIT
 
-# this is required for the docs build jobs
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2,<2.0.0;python_version=='2.7' # BSD
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,!=2.1.0,>=1.6.2;python_version>='3.4' # BSD
-openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
-reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
 # Include horizon as test requirement
 http://tarballs.openstack.org/horizon/horizon-master.tar.gz#egg=horizon
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 98069fb2..b351a156 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ commands = python setup.py test --coverage --testr-args='{posargs}'
 
 [testenv:docs]
 basepython = python3
-commands = python setup.py build_sphinx
+deps =
+  -c{env:UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
+  -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
+commands =
+  sphinx-build -W -b html doc/source doc/build/html
 
 [testenv:debug]
 basepython = python3
@@ -63,6 +67,9 @@ exclude=.venv,.git,.tox,dist,doc,*lib/python*,*egg,build
 
 [testenv:releasenotes]
 basepython = python3
+deps =
+  -c{env:UPPER_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
+  -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 commands = sphinx-build -a -W -E -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
 
 [testenv:extractmessages]