diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2bcb5340..701bb079 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ dist
 *.egg-info
 docs/_*/*
 docs/autodoc/
+build/sphinx/
 pyan/
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 61afa91e..3e585b6b 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -17,13 +17,7 @@ EXTRAS_REQUIRE = {
     'qrcode': ['qrcode'],
     'sound;platform_system=="Windows"': ['winsound'],
     'tor': ['stem'],
-    'docs': [
-        'sphinx',  # fab build_docs
-        'graphviz',  # fab build_docs
-        'curses',  # src/depends.py
-        'python2-pythondialog',  # src/depends.py
-        'm2r',  # fab build_docs
-    ]
+    'docs': ['sphinx', 'sphinxcontrib-apidoc', 'm2r']
 }
 
 
@@ -155,5 +149,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             # ]
         },
         scripts=['src/pybitmessage'],
-        cmdclass={'install': InstallCmd}
+        cmdclass={'install': InstallCmd},
+        command_options={
+            'build_sphinx': {
+                'source_dir': ('setup.py', 'docs')}
+        }
     )