diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index 78377f5c0..ccc3b33e3 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -26,18 +26,17 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     get_version = None
 
-
-# Monkey patch
-class PatchDummyStateMachine(DummyStateMachine):
-    """Fix recommonmark 0.4 doc reference issues."""
-
-    def run_role(self, name, *args, **kwargs):
-        if name == 'doc':
-            name = 'any'
-        return DummyStateMachine.run_role(self, name, *args, **kwargs)
+# Monkey patch to fix recommonmark 0.4 doc reference issues.
+orig_run_role = DummyStateMachine.run_role
 
 
-DummyStateMachine = PatchDummyStateMachine
+def run_role(self, name, options=None, content=None):
+    if name == 'doc':
+        name = 'any'
+    return orig_run_role(self, name, options, content)
+
+
+DummyStateMachine.run_role = run_role
 
 # Must add these for autodoc to import packages successully
 __builtin__.__dict__['_'] = lambda x: x
diff --git a/requirements-docs.txt b/requirements-docs.txt
index e5437fc13..e23c1e1e3 100644
--- a/requirements-docs.txt
+++ b/requirements-docs.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 sphinx==1.7.*
-recommonmark
+recommonmark==0.4.*
 sphinx_rtd_theme