diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index 186759119c2e..76d680f22382 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -158,32 +158,18 @@ def run_doxygen(folder):
     except OSError as e:
         sys.stderr.write("doxygen execution failed: %s" % e)
 
-def run_build_mxnet(folder):
-    """Run the doxygen make command in the designated folder."""
-    try:
-        subprocess.call('cd ..; rm -rf dmlc-core;' +
-                        'git clone https://github.com/dmlc/dmlc-core')
-        subprocess.call('cd ..; rm -rf mshadow;' +
-                        'git clone https://github.com/dmlc/mshadow')
-        subprocess.call('cd ..; cp/make/readthedocs.mk config.mk')
-        retcode = subprocess.call("cd %s; make" % folder, shell=True)
-        if retcode < 0:
-            sys.stderr.write("build terminated by signal %s" % (-retcode))
-    except OSError as e:
-        sys.stderr.write("build execution failed: %s" % e)
 
 def generate_doxygen_xml(app):
     """Run the doxygen make commands if we're on the ReadTheDocs server"""
     read_the_docs_build = os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True'
     if read_the_docs_build:
         run_doxygen('..')
-        run_build_mxnet('..')
     sys.stderr.write('The Lib path: %s\n' % str(os.listdir('../lib')))
 
 def setup(app):
     # Add hook for building doxygen xml when needed
     # no c++ API for now
-    # app.connect("builder-inited", generate_doxygen_xml)
+    app.connect("builder-inited", generate_doxygen_xml)
     app.add_config_value('recommonmark_config', {
             'url_resolver': lambda url: github_doc_root + url,
             }, True)
diff --git a/doc/sphinx_util.py b/doc/sphinx_util.py
index 917ef3f68ddb..10ed6fddbe46 100644
--- a/doc/sphinx_util.py
+++ b/doc/sphinx_util.py
@@ -5,13 +5,26 @@
 import docutils
 import subprocess
 
+
+def run_build_mxnet(folder):
+    """Run the doxygen make command in the designated folder."""
+    try:
+        subprocess.call('cd ..; rm -rf dmlc-core;' +
+                        'git clone https://github.com/dmlc/dmlc-core', shell = True)
+        subprocess.call('cd ..; rm -rf mshadow;' +
+                        'git clone https://github.com/dmlc/mshadow', shell = True)
+        subprocess.call('cd ..; cp make/readthedocs.mk config.mk', shell = True)
+        retcode = subprocess.call("cd %s; make" % folder, shell = True)
+        if retcode < 0:
+            sys.stderr.write("build terminated by signal %s" % (-retcode))
+    except OSError as e:
+        sys.stderr.write("build execution failed: %s" % e)
+
 if os.environ.get('READTHEDOCS', None) == 'True':
     subprocess.call('cd ..; rm -rf recommonmark;' +
-                    'git clone https://github.com/tqchen/recommonmark', shell=True)
+                    'git clone https://github.com/tqchen/recommonmark', shell = True)
 
-if os.path.exists("../lib/libmxnet.so") == False:
-    subprocess.call('cd ..; cp make/readthedocs.mk ./config.mk;', shell = True)
-    subprocess.call('cd ..; sh ./scripts/build_dmlc.sh; make clean; make;', shell = True)
+run_build_mxnet("..")
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('../recommonmark/'))