diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 7f2db06d4d50e..aef3ce66ff352 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ dependencies:
   - numpydoc
   - pydata-sphinx-theme=0.14
   - pytest-cython  # doctest
+  - docutils < 0.21  # https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/issues/12302
   - sphinx
   - sphinx-design
   - sphinx-copybutton
diff --git a/requirements-dev.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
index 5a63e59e1db88..c19ae8ea93bb5 100644
--- a/requirements-dev.txt
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ natsort
 numpydoc
 pydata-sphinx-theme==0.14
 pytest-cython
+docutils < 0.21
 sphinx
 sphinx-design
 sphinx-copybutton