diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fea0242ac..adefc9a82 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,3 +41,6 @@ nova/tests/cover/*
 nova/vcsversion.py
 tools/conf/nova.conf*
 doc/source/_static/nova.conf.sample
+
+ # Files created by releasenotes build
+releasenotes/build
diff --git a/test-requirements.txt b/test-requirements.txt
index ef43dd255..db2f75b17 100644
--- a/test-requirements.txt
+++ b/test-requirements.txt
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@ bandit>=0.13.2
 
 # vmwareapi driver specific dependencies
 oslo.vmware>=1.16.0 # Apache-2.0
+
+# releasenotes
+reno>=0.1.1  # Apache2
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index c1388cd49..c7724d41a 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ commands = {[testenv:docs]commands}
 [testenv:bandit]
 commands = bandit -c bandit.yaml -r nova -n 5 -ll
 
+[testenv:releasenotes]
+commands = sphinx-build -a -E -d releasenotes/build/doctrees -b html releasenotes/source releasenotes/build/html
+
 [flake8]
 # E125 is deliberately excluded. See https://github.com/jcrocholl/pep8/issues/126
 # The rest of the ignores are TODOs
@@ -123,7 +126,7 @@ commands = bandit -c bandit.yaml -r nova -n 5 -ll
 # E251 Skipped due to https://github.com/jcrocholl/pep8/issues/301
 
 ignore = E121,E122,E123,E124,E125,E126,E127,E128,E129,E131,E251,H405
-exclude =  .venv,.git,.tox,dist,doc,*openstack/common/*,*lib/python*,*egg,build,tools/xenserver*
+exclude =  .venv,.git,.tox,dist,doc,*openstack/common/*,*lib/python*,*egg,build,tools/xenserver*,releasenotes
 # To get a list of functions that are more complex than 25, set max-complexity
 # to 25 and run 'tox -epep8'.
 # 34 is currently the most complex thing we have