diff --git a/doc/buildhtml.py b/doc/buildhtml.py
index 5c5db1ead..42efbfe5e 100644
--- a/doc/buildhtml.py
+++ b/doc/buildhtml.py
@@ -26,13 +26,16 @@
 import os.path
 import copy
 from fnmatch import fnmatch
-import docutils
-from docutils import ApplicationError
-from docutils import core, frontend, utils
-from docutils.error_reporting import ErrorOutput, ErrorString
-from docutils.parsers import rst
-from docutils.readers import standalone, pep
-from docutils.writers import html4css1, pep_html
+try:
+    import docutils
+    from docutils import ApplicationError
+    from docutils import core, frontend, utils
+    from docutils.error_reporting import ErrorOutput, ErrorString
+    from docutils.parsers import rst
+    from docutils.readers import standalone, pep
+    from docutils.writers import html4css1, pep_html
+except ImportError:
+  raise ImportError('Importing `docutils` failed. Install it with `pip install docutils`.')
 
 
 usage = '%prog [options] [<directory> ...]'
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3b58879c9..ec5943478 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@
       install_requires = [
 							'decorator >= 3.3.2',
 							'selenium >= 2.32.0',
-							'robotframework >= 2.6.0',
-							'docutils >= 0.8.1'
+							'robotframework >= 2.6.0'
 						 ],
       py_modules=['ez_setup'],
       package_dir  = {'' : 'src'},