diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..60abdfd59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+os-api-ref>=1.4.0 # Apache-2.0
+reno>=3.1.0 # Apache-2.0
+sphinx>=2.0.0,!=2.1.0 # BSD
+sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter>=0.1.0 # BSD
+sphinxcontrib-apidoc>=0.2.0  # BSD
+openstackdocstheme>=2.2.0 # Apache-2.0
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index 802230747..99c5fd381 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -4,17 +4,7 @@
 
 bandit!=1.6.0,>=1.1.0,<2.0.0 # Apache-2.0
 coverage!=4.4,>=4.0 # Apache-2.0
-os-api-ref>=1.4.0 # Apache-2.0
 pymemcache!=1.3.0,>=1.2.9 # Apache-2.0
 stestr>=1.0.0 # Apache-2.0
 fixtures>=3.0.0 # Apache-2.0/BSD
 oslotest>=3.2.0 # Apache-2.0
-
-# DOC test requirements
-doc8>=0.6.0 # Apache-2.0
-reno>=3.1.0 # Apache-2.0
-sphinx>=2.0.0,!=2.1.0 # BSD
-sphinxcontrib-svg2pdfconverter>=0.1.0 # BSD
-sphinxcontrib-apidoc>=0.2.0  # BSD
-openstackdocstheme>=2.2.0 # Apache-2.0
-
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 5a8006885..85cfc44f2 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [tox]
 minversion = 3.2.1
+skipsdist = True
 envlist = py3,pep8,functional-py38
 ignore_basepython_conflict=true
 
@@ -23,11 +24,19 @@ passenv = http_proxy HTTP_PROXY https_proxy HTTPS_PROXY no_proxy NO_PROXY
 commands = {posargs}
 
 [testenv:api-ref]
+usedevelop = False
+deps =
+    -c{env:TOX_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
+    -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 whitelist_externals = bash
 commands =
   sphinx-build -W -b html -d api-ref/build/doctrees api-ref/source api-ref/build/html
 
 [testenv:releasenotes]
+usedevelop = False
+deps =
+    -c{env:TOX_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
+    -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 commands = sphinx-build -a -E -W -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
 
 [testenv:cover]
@@ -42,6 +51,7 @@ commands =
     coverage html -d ./cover --omit='*test*'
 
 [testenv:pep8]
+usedevelop = False
 deps =
     flake8-import-order>=0.17.1 # LGPLv3
     hacking>=3.1.0,<4.0.0 # Apache-2.0
@@ -86,9 +96,11 @@ import_exceptions = ironic_inspector.common.i18n
 [testenv:docs]
 setenv = PYTHONHASHSEED=0
 sitepackages = False
+# NOTE(dtantsur): documentation building process requires importing ironic
 deps =
     -c{env:TOX_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
-    -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
+    -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt
+    -r{toxinidir}/doc/requirements.txt
 commands =
   sphinx-build -W -b html doc/source doc/build/html
 
@@ -106,7 +118,10 @@ deps =
   -r{toxinidir}/requirements.txt
 
 [testenv:bandit]
-deps = -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
+usedevelop = False
+deps =
+    -c{env:TOX_CONSTRAINTS_FILE:https://releases.openstack.org/constraints/upper/master}
+    -r{toxinidir}/test-requirements.txt
 commands = bandit -r ironic_inspector -x test -n 5 -ll -c tools/bandit.yml
 
 # This environment can be used to quickly validate that all needed system