diff --git a/Doc/Makefile b/Doc/Makefile
index 08013c0ef48c03..803d1c00aced25 100644
--- a/Doc/Makefile
+++ b/Doc/Makefile
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ clean:
 
 venv:
 	$(PYTHON) -m venv $(VENVDIR)
-	$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install -U Sphinx blurb
+	$(VENVDIR)/bin/python3 -m pip install -U Sphinx==1.8.2 blurb
 	@echo "The venv has been created in the $(VENVDIR) directory"
 
 dist:
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-04-09-00-19-10.bpo-40204.K-S6RZ.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-04-09-00-19-10.bpo-40204.K-S6RZ.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e08f36f03cb5a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Build/2020-04-09-00-19-10.bpo-40204.K-S6RZ.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Pin Sphinx version to 1.8.2 in ``Doc/Makefile``.