diff --git a/playbooks/tox-docs/pre.yaml b/playbooks/tox-docs/pre.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..81975f024
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbooks/tox-docs/pre.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+- hosts: all
+  roles:
+    - role: bindep
+      bindep_dir: "{{ zuul_work_dir }}"
+
diff --git a/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml b/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml
index f17cb0497..6f476a33c 100644
--- a/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml
+++ b/roles/bindep/defaults/main.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 ---
 bindep_dir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}"
 bindep_profile: compile test
+
+zuul_work_dir: "{{ zuul.project.src_dir }}"
diff --git a/zuul.yaml b/zuul.yaml
index 6facb634d..61cfaf467 100644
--- a/zuul.yaml
+++ b/zuul.yaml
@@ -97,14 +97,22 @@
 
 - job:
     name: tox-docs
-    parent: tox
+    # This is not parented to tox since we do not need
+    # the roles from its parent unittests.
     description: |
       Run documentation unit tests.
 
       Uses tox with the ``docs`` environment.
     vars:
       tox_envlist: docs
-    post-run: playbooks/tox/docs-post.yaml
+      bindep_profile: compile doc
+    run: playbooks/tox/run.yaml
+    pre-run:
+        - playbooks/tox-docs/pre.yaml
+        - playbooks/tox/pre.yaml
+    post-run:
+        - playbooks/tox/docs-post.yaml
+        - playbooks/tox/post.yaml
     success-url: html/
 
 - job: