diff --git a/docs/course_authors/Makefile b/docs/course_authors/Makefile
index a256724fbb..a9054b9932 100644
--- a/docs/course_authors/Makefile
+++ b/docs/course_authors/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ endif
 # Internal variables.
 PAPEROPT_a4     = -D latex_paper_size=a4
 PAPEROPT_letter = -D latex_paper_size=letter
-ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c . $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
+ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c source $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 # the i18n builder cannot share the environment and doctrees with the others
 I18NSPHINXOPTS  = $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 
diff --git a/docs/course_authors/conf.py b/docs/course_authors/source/conf.py
similarity index 74%
rename from docs/course_authors/conf.py
rename to docs/course_authors/source/conf.py
index 9471ae33ab..78396b767c 100644
--- a/docs/course_authors/conf.py
+++ b/docs/course_authors/source/conf.py
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 
 import sys, os
 
+on_rtd = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
+
+if on_rtd:   # Add to syspath so RTD will find the common conf file
+    sys.path.append('../../../')
+
 from docs.shared.conf import *
 
 
diff --git a/docs/data/Makefile b/docs/data/Makefile
index db63ce4ec1..fd08639327 100644
--- a/docs/data/Makefile
+++ b/docs/data/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ BUILDDIR      = build
 # Internal variables.
 PAPEROPT_a4     = -D latex_paper_size=a4
 PAPEROPT_letter = -D latex_paper_size=letter
-ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c . $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
+ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c source $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 # the i18n builder cannot share the environment and doctrees with the others
 I18NSPHINXOPTS  = $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 
diff --git a/docs/data/conf.py b/docs/data/source/conf.py
similarity index 76%
rename from docs/data/conf.py
rename to docs/data/source/conf.py
index 3c335fe226..6fc7f62a25 100644
--- a/docs/data/conf.py
+++ b/docs/data/source/conf.py
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 
 import sys, os
 
+on_rtd = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
+
+if on_rtd:   # Add to syspath so RTD will find the common conf file
+    sys.path.append('../../../')
+
 from docs.shared.conf import *
 
 
diff --git a/docs/developers/Makefile b/docs/developers/Makefile
index b59548cde2..168add14d6 100644
--- a/docs/developers/Makefile
+++ b/docs/developers/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ BUILDDIR      = build
 # Internal variables.
 PAPEROPT_a4     = -D latex_paper_size=a4
 PAPEROPT_letter = -D latex_paper_size=letter
-ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c . $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
+ALLSPHINXOPTS   = -d $(BUILDDIR)/doctrees -c source $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 # the i18n builder cannot share the environment and doctrees with the others
 I18NSPHINXOPTS  = $(PAPEROPT_$(PAPER)) $(SPHINXOPTS) source
 
diff --git a/docs/developers/conf.py b/docs/developers/source/conf.py
similarity index 97%
rename from docs/developers/conf.py
rename to docs/developers/source/conf.py
index 8613ca9319..aaad49ba6c 100644
--- a/docs/developers/conf.py
+++ b/docs/developers/source/conf.py
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
   
 import sys, os
 
+on_rtd = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
+
+if on_rtd:   # Add to syspath so RTD will find the common conf file
+    sys.path.append('../../../')
+
 from docs.shared.conf import *