diff --git a/ci/build_docs.sh b/ci/build_docs.sh
index 9226679f..71d7fcfd 100644
--- a/ci/build_docs.sh
+++ b/ci/build_docs.sh
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ set -e
 
 echo "Installing sphinx, etc. to build the documentation ..."
 cd "$TRAVIS_BUILD_DIR"
-conda install -q -c anaconda sphinx sphinx_rtd_theme 
-conda install -q -c conda-forge sphinx-gallery
-pip install sphinx-prompt
+
+# Swap out conda environments for one that supports building the documentation
 conda deactivate
-conda activate devel
+conda env create -f ci/docs_env.yml
+conda activate docs-env
 
 echo "Adding the SSH key ..."
 cd ci/
diff --git a/ci/docs_env.yml b/ci/docs_env.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bdc0f8ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/docs_env.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+name: docs-env
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+  - conda-forge/label/testing
+  - anaconda
+dependencies:
+  - python=3
+  - numpy=1.15.*
+  - pyside2=5.13.*
+  - sphinx
+  - pytest
+  - qtpy
+  - sphinx_rtd_theme
+  - sphinx-gallery
+  - requests
+  - python-dateutil 
+  - pyinstaller
+  - setuptools
+  - pip
+  - pip:
+    - sphinx-prompt
+    - pydocstyle