diff --git a/.readthedocs.yml b/.readthedocs.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..283501959
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.readthedocs.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+formats:
+    - epub
+    - pdf
+
+python:
+    version: 3.6
+    pip_install: true
+    extra_requirements:
+        - doc
+        - dev
+        - test
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index adf459c5c..fe7b7d4a1 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ env:
   
   
 install:
-  - pip install tensorflow
-  - pip install -r requirements.txt
-  - pip install -e .[dev,doc,test]
+  - pip install -e .[tf_cpu,dev,test,doc]
   
   
 script:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b3cb46f34..90e6b4ef1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -66,8 +66,38 @@ The simplest way to install TensorLayer is:
 # for master version (Recommended)
 $ pip install git+https://github.com/tensorlayer/tensorlayer.git
 
-# for stable version
+# for last stable version
 $ pip install tensorlayer
+
+# for latest release candidate
+$ pip install --pre tensorlayer
+```
+
+If you prefer to build from sources in a development objective
+```bash
+# First clone the repository
+$ git clone https://github.com/tensorlayer/tensorlayer.git
+$ cd tensorlayer
+
+# Install virtualenv if necessary
+$ pip install virtualenv
+
+# Then create a virtualenv called venv inside
+$ virtualenv venv
+
+# Activate the virtualenv  
+
+# Linux:
+$ source venv/bin/activate
+
+# Windows:
+$ venv\Scripts\activate.bat
+
+# for a machine **without** an NVIDIA GPU
+$ pip install -e .[tf_cpu,dev,test,doc]
+
+# for a machine **with** an NVIDIA GPU
+$ pip install -e .[tf_gpu,dev,test,doc]
 ```
 
 Dockerfile is supplied to build images, build as usual
@@ -80,6 +110,12 @@ $ docker build -t tensorlayer:latest .
 $ docker build -t tensorlayer:latest-gpu -f Dockerfile.gpu .
 ```
 
+Launching the unittest:
+
+```bash
+$ pytest
+```
+
 Please check [documentation](http://tensorlayer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/installation.html) for detailed instructions.
 
 
diff --git a/docs/requirements-rtd.txt b/docs/requirements-rtd.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 2220357e1..000000000
--- a/docs/requirements-rtd.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-# Keep this file in sync with requirements.txt, except tensorflow
-
-flake8-docstrings>=1.3,<1.4
-matplotlib>=2.2,<2.3
-pymongo>=3.6,<3.7
-progressbar2>=3.37,<3.38
-scikit-image>=0.13,<0.14
-scipy>=1.0,<1.1
-sphinx>=1.7,<1.8
-tensorflow==1.5.0  # DO NOT MODIFY: https://github.com/tensorflow/tensorflow/issues/17441
diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index 046b187de..ad871fc50 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# Keep this file in sync with requirements-rtd.txt, except tensorflow
-
 flake8-docstrings>=1.3,<1.4
 matplotlib>=2.2,<2.3
 pymongo>=3.6,<3.7
@@ -7,4 +5,3 @@ progressbar2>=3.37,<3.38
 scikit-image>=0.13,<0.14
 scipy>=1.0,<1.1
 sphinx>=1.7,<1.8
-tensorflow>=1.7,<1.8
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 351b6ac45..6462a47c6 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 else:
     long_description = 'See ' + __homepage__
 
-
 # ======================= Reading Requirements files as TXT files =======================
 
 def req_file(filename):
@@ -51,6 +50,24 @@ def req_file(filename):
     # Example: `\n` at the end of each line
     return [x.strip() for x in content]
 
+# ======================= Defining the requirements var =======================
+
+install_requires = req_file("requirements.txt")
+
+extras_require = {
+    'tf_cpu': ['tensorflow>=1.8.0,<1.9'],
+    'tf_gpu': ['tensorflow-gpu>=1.8.0,<1.9'],
+	'dev': req_file("requirements_dev.txt"),
+	'doc': req_file("docs/requirements.txt"),
+	'test': req_file("tests/requirements.txt")
+}
+
+# Readthedocs requires TF 1.5.0 to build properly
+if os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True':
+    install_requires.append("tensorflow==1.5.0")
+
+# ======================= Define the package setup =======================
+
 setup(
     name=__package_name__,
 
@@ -125,16 +142,12 @@ def req_file(filename):
     # your project is installed. For an analysis of "install_requires" vs pip's
     # requirements files see:
     # https://packaging.python.org/en/latest/requirements.html
-    install_requires=req_file("requirements.txt"),
+    install_requires=install_requires,
 
     # List additional groups of dependencies here (e.g. development
     # dependencies). You can install these using the following syntax,
     # $ pip install -e .[test]
-    extras_require={
-        'dev': req_file("requirements_dev.txt"),
-        'doc': req_file("docs/requirements.txt"),
-        'test': req_file("tests/requirements.txt")
-    },
+    extras_require=extras_require,
     scripts=[
         'tl',
     ],
diff --git a/tensorlayer/__init__.py b/tensorlayer/__init__.py
index a775499b8..e30f4dead 100644
--- a/tensorlayer/__init__.py
+++ b/tensorlayer/__init__.py
@@ -3,28 +3,44 @@
 """Deep learning and Reinforcement learning library for Researchers and Engineers"""
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
-try:
+import pkg_resources
+installed_packages = [d for d in pkg_resources.working_set]
+
+TF_is_installed = False
+TL_is_installed = False
+
+for package in installed_packages:
+    if 'tensorflow' in package.project_name:
+        TF_is_installed = True
+    if 'tensorlayer' in package.project_name and 'site-packages' in package.location:
+        TL_is_installed = True
+
+if TF_is_installed:  # The tensorlayer package is installed
     import tensorflow
-except ImportError:
+
+    from . import activation
+    from . import cost
+    from . import files
+    from . import iterate
+    from . import layers
+    from . import models
+    from . import utils
+    from . import visualize
+    from . import prepro
+    from . import nlp
+    from . import rein
+    from . import distributed
+
+    # alias
+    act = activation
+    vis = visualize
+
+    global_flag = {}
+    global_dict = {}
+
+elif TL_is_installed:
     install_instr = "Please make sure you install a recent enough version of TensorFlow."
-    raise ImportError("__init__.py : Could not import TensorFlow." + install_instr)
-
-from . import activation
-from . import cost
-from . import files
-from . import iterate
-from . import layers
-from . import models
-from . import utils
-from . import visualize
-from . import prepro
-from . import nlp
-from . import rein
-from . import distributed
-
-# alias
-act = activation
-vis = visualize
+    raise ImportError("__init__.py : Could not import TensorFlow. {}".format(install_instr))
 
 # Use the following formating: (major, minor, patch, prerelease)
 VERSION = (1, 8, 5, 'rc2')
@@ -40,6 +56,3 @@
 __description__ = 'Reinforcement Learning and Deep Learning Library for Researcher and Engineer.'
 __license__ = 'apache'
 __keywords__ = 'deep learning, machine learning, computer vision, nlp, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, tensorflow'
-
-global_flag = {}
-global_dict = {}