diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 86f64aaffa..f8edf4d8d0 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 
 # If your documentation needs a minimal Sphinx version, state it here.
 #
-needs_sphinx = '7.2.2'
+needs_sphinx = '7.1.0'
 
 # Add any Sphinx extension module names here, as strings. They can be
 # extensions coming with Sphinx (named 'sphinx.ext.*') or your custom
diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index d6cd828e12..6a5a53d4a7 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # This is a PIP requirements file for building Sphinx documentation of pywikibot
 # requirements.txt is also needed
-sphinx >= 7.2.2
+sphinx >= 7.1.0
 rstcheck >=6.1.2
 sphinxext-opengraph >= 0.8.2
 furo >= 2023.8.17