diff --git a/docs/environment.yml b/docs/environment.yml
index b23b5601..2dbfd535 100644
--- a/docs/environment.yml
+++ b/docs/environment.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ name: jhub_docs
 channels:
   - conda-forge
 dependencies:
+- pip
 - nodejs
 - python=3.6
 - alembic
diff --git a/docs/source/_templates/page.html b/docs/source/_templates/page.html
deleted file mode 100644
index 8df1d7ec..00000000
--- a/docs/source/_templates/page.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-{% extends '!page.html' %}
-
-{# Custom template for page.html
-
-   Alabaster theme does not provide blocks for prev/next at bottom of each page.
-   This is _in addition_ to the prev/next in the  sidebar. The "Prev/Next" text
-   or symbols are handled by CSS classes in _static/custom.css
-#}
-
-{% macro prev_next(prev, next, prev_title='', next_title='') %}
-  {%- if prev %}
-     <a class='left-prev' href="{{ prev.link|e }}" title="{{ _('previous chapter')}}">{{ prev_title or prev.title }}</a>
-  {%- endif %}
-  {%- if next %}
-     <a class='right-next' href="{{ next.link|e }}" title="{{ _('next chapter')}}">{{ next_title or next.title }}</a>
-  {%- endif %}
-  <div style='clear:both;'></div>
-{% endmacro %}
-
-
-{% block body %}
-  <div class='prev-next-top'>
-    {{ prev_next(prev, next, 'Previous', 'Next') }}
-  </div>
-
-  {{super()}}
-  <div class='prev-next-bottom'>
-    {{ prev_next(prev, next) }}
-  </div>
-{% endblock %}
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index 2e2e2087..6e83f379 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -192,9 +192,7 @@ intersphinx_mapping = {'https://docs.python.org/3/': None}
 # -- Read The Docs --------------------------------------------------------
 
 on_rtd = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
-if not on_rtd:
-    html_theme = 'alabaster'
-else:
+if on_rtd:
     # readthedocs.org uses their theme by default, so no need to specify it
     # build rest-api, since RTD doesn't run make
     from subprocess import check_call as sh