diff --git a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
index 413d67316d..758fb3d41c 100755
--- a/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
+++ b/playbooks/inventory/dynamic_inventory.py
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ def _extra_config(user_defined_config, base_dir):
 
 
 def _check_config_settings(cidr_networks, config, container_skel):
-    """ check preciseness of config settings
+    """check preciseness of config settings
 
     :param cidr_networks: ``dict`` cidr_networks from config
     :param config: ``dict``  User defined information
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 0b11c9fabd..1e3f8b56f0 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-ansible-lint>=2.0.3
+ansible>1.9,<2.0
+ansible-lint>=2.0.3,<=2.3.6
+bashate==0.5.0 # Apache-2.0
 flake8==2.2.4
 hacking>=0.10.0,<0.11
+mccabe==0.2.1 # capped for flake8
 pep8==1.5.7
 pyflakes==0.8.1
-mccabe==0.2.1 # capped for flake8
-bashate>=0.2 # Apache-2.0
 
 # this is required for the docs build jobs
 sphinx!=1.2.0,!=1.3b1,<1.3,>=1.1.2
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 13d6cb7384..7d684e2cdf 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ usedevelop = True
 install_command = pip install -U {opts} {packages}
 setenv = VIRTUAL_ENV={envdir}
 deps = -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
+whitelist_externals = bash
 
 [testenv:releasenotes]
 commands = sphinx-build -a -E -W -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
@@ -23,8 +24,6 @@ commands = {posargs}
 
 # Run hacking/flake8 check for all python files
 [testenv:pep8]
-deps = flake8
-whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
     bash -c "grep -Irl \
         -e '!/usr/bin/env python' \
@@ -48,9 +47,6 @@ commands =
 ignore=F403,H303
 
 [testenv:bashate]
-deps =
-  bashate
-whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   # Run bashate check for all bash scripts
   # Ignores the following rules:
@@ -67,18 +63,11 @@ commands =
     {toxinidir} | xargs bashate --error . --verbose --ignore=E003,E006,E040"
 
 [testenv:ansible-lint]
-deps =
-  ansible>1.9,<2.0
-  ansible-lint
-whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   # Perform an Ansible lint check
   bash -c "ansible-lint {toxinidir}/playbooks/*.yml"
 
 [testenv:ansible-syntax]
-deps =
-  ansible>1.9,<2.0
-whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   # Perform an Ansible syntax check
   bash -c "mkdir -p {envtmpdir}/ansible; \
@@ -101,13 +90,6 @@ commands =
       {toxinidir}/playbooks/*.yml"
 
 [testenv:linters]
-deps =
-  {[testenv:pep8]deps}
-  {[testenv:bashate]deps}
-  {[testenv:ansible-lint]deps}
-  # note that the ansible-syntax deps are omitted on purpose as the
-  #  ansible-lint env contains duplicate items in its dep list
-whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   {[testenv:pep8]commands}
   {[testenv:bashate]commands}