diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index aef7a06f2..79d9554b0 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -1998,7 +1998,16 @@ These options influence LaTeX output. See further :doc:`latex`.
         differently or append some content after the index. For example
         ``'\\footnotesize\\raggedright\\printindex'`` is advisable when the
         index is full of long entries.
+     ``'fvset'``
+        Customization of ``fancyvrb`` LaTeX package. Defaults to
+        ``'\\fvset{fontsize=\\small}'``, because default font (Courier) used in
+        code-blocks is wider and taller than default text font (Times).
 
+        For ``'xelatex'`` and ``'lualatex'``, defaults to
+        ``'\\fvset{fontsize=auto}'``, because the default fonts are part of
+        one unified typeface family (Latin Modern OpenType).
+
+        .. versionadded:: 1.8
    * Keys that are set by other options and therefore should not be overridden
      are:
 
diff --git a/doc/latex.rst b/doc/latex.rst
index 87117c164..f8e275020 100644
--- a/doc/latex.rst
+++ b/doc/latex.rst
@@ -385,13 +385,6 @@ Macros
      multiple paragraphs in header cells of tables.
   .. versionadded:: 1.6.3
      ``\sphinxstylecodecontinued`` and ``\sphinxstylecodecontinues``.
-- by default the Sphinx style file ``sphinx.sty`` executes the command
-  ``\fvset{fontsize=\small}`` as part of its configuration of
-  ``fancyvrb.sty``. This may be overriden for example via
-  ``\fvset{fontsize=auto}`` which will let code listings use the ambient font
-  size. Refer to ``fancyvrb.sty``'s documentation for further keys.
-
-  .. versionadded:: 1.5
 - the table of contents is typeset via ``\sphinxtableofcontents`` which is a
   wrapper (whose definition can be found in :file:`sphinxhowto.cls` or in
   :file:`sphinxmanual.cls`) of standard ``\tableofcontents``.
diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/latex.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/latex.tex_t
index 34086b1cb..0ea75557f 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/latex.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/latex.tex_t
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 <%= fncychap %>
 \usepackage<%= sphinxpkgoptions %>{sphinx}
 <%= sphinxsetup %>
+<%= fvset %>
 <%= geometry %>
 <%= usepackages %>
 <%= hyperref %>
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index e323b2a5d..17aa6644d 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 %
 
 \NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}[1995/12/01]
-\ProvidesPackage{sphinx}[2018/03/11 v1.7.2 LaTeX package (Sphinx markup)]
+\ProvidesPackage{sphinx}[2018/03/28 v1.8 LaTeX package (Sphinx markup)]
 
 % provides \ltx@ifundefined
 % (many packages load ltxcmds: graphicx does for pdftex and lualatex but
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@
 }
 % For highlighted code.
 \RequirePackage{fancyvrb}
-\fvset{fontsize=\small}
 \define@key{FV}{hllines}{\def\sphinx@verbatim@checkifhl##1{\in@{, ##1,}{#1}}}
 % For hyperlinked footnotes in tables; also for gathering footnotes from
 % topic and warning blocks. Also to allow code-blocks in footnotes.
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index caaba92e2..c98411f42 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     'maxlistdepth':    '',
     'sphinxpkgoptions':     '',
     'sphinxsetup':     '',
+    'fvset':           '\\fvset{fontsize=\\small}',
     'passoptionstopackages': '',
     'geometry':        '\\usepackage{geometry}',
     'inputenc':        '',
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ ADDITIONAL_SETTINGS = {
         'fontpkg':      '',
         'utf8extra':   ('\\catcode`^^^^00a0\\active\\protected\\def^^^^00a0'
                         '{\\leavevmode\\nobreak\\ }'),
+        'fvset':        '\\fvset{fontsize=auto}',
     },
     'lualatex': {
         'latex_engine': 'lualatex',
@@ -141,6 +143,7 @@ ADDITIONAL_SETTINGS = {
         'fontpkg':      '',
         'utf8extra':   ('\\catcode`^^^^00a0\\active\\protected\\def^^^^00a0'
                         '{\\leavevmode\\nobreak\\ }'),
+        'fvset':        '\\fvset{fontsize=auto}',
     },
     'platex': {
         'latex_engine': 'platex',