diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
index c8435638..cef9853f 100644
--- a/doc/requirements.txt
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 # process, which may cause wedges in the gate later.
 
 openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.5,<2.0.0;python_version=='2.7' # BSD
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.5;python_version>='3.4' # BSD
+sphinx>=1.8.0,<2.0.0;python_version=='2.7' # BSD
+sphinx>=1.8.0,!=2.1.0;python_version>='3.4' # BSD
 sphinxcontrib-apidoc>=0.2.0  # BSD
 
 reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/lower-constraints.txt b/lower-constraints.txt
index 04c53243..d6d0429f 100644
--- a/lower-constraints.txt
+++ b/lower-constraints.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ six==1.10.0
 stestr==2.0.0
 smmap==0.9.0
 snowballstemmer==1.2.1
-Sphinx==1.6.5
+Sphinx==1.8.0
 sphinxcontrib-websupport==1.0.1
 stevedore==1.20.0
 testrepository==0.0.18
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index b05205cb..ed1c446a 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ deps =
   -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 commands =
   rm -rf doc/build
-  sphinx-build -W -b html doc/source doc/build/html
+  sphinx-build -W --keep-going -b html doc/source doc/build/html
 
 [testenv:cover]
 basepython = python3
@@ -54,7 +54,11 @@ import_exceptions = oslo_policy._i18n
 
 [testenv:releasenotes]
 basepython = python3
-commands = sphinx-build -a -E -W -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
+whitelist_externals =
+  rm
+commands =
+  rm -rf releasenotes/build
+  sphinx-build -a -E -W -d releasenotes/build/doctrees --keep-going -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
 
 [testenv:lower-constraints]
 basepython = python3