diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
index e009c0df..af74e21a 100644
--- a/doc/requirements.txt
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
 # process, which may cause wedges in the gate later.
 
 openstackdocstheme>=1.18.1 # Apache-2.0
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2,<2.0.0;python_version=='2.7' # BSD
-sphinx!=1.6.6,!=1.6.7,>=1.6.2;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
 reno>=2.5.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/lower-constraints.txt b/lower-constraints.txt
index 1ea64ece..1413f4b5 100644
--- a/lower-constraints.txt
+++ b/lower-constraints.txt
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Routes==2.3.1
 six==1.10.0
 smmap==0.9.0
 snowballstemmer==1.2.1
-Sphinx==1.6.2
+Sphinx==1.8.0
 sphinxcontrib-websupport==1.0.1
 stestr==2.0.0
 stevedore==1.20.0
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 83109b45..4c5be6f7 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ whitelist_externals =
   rm
 commands =
   rm -rf doc/build
-  sphinx-build -W -b html doc/source doc/build/html {posargs}
+  sphinx-build -W --keep-going -b html doc/source doc/build/html {posargs}
 
 [testenv:cover]
 basepython = python3
@@ -66,7 +66,11 @@ commands = bandit -r oslo_service -n5 -x tests {posargs}
 
 [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