diff --git a/sphinx/environment.py b/sphinx/environment.py
index a2399422d..635845b80 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from docutils.parsers.rst import roles, directives
 from docutils.parsers.rst.languages import en as english
 from docutils.parsers.rst.directives.html import MetaBody
 from docutils.writers import UnfilteredWriter
+from docutils.frontend import OptionParser
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx.util import url_re, get_matching_docs, docname_join, split_into, \
@@ -582,6 +583,12 @@ class BuildEnvironment:
 
         self.patch_lookup_functions()
 
+        docutilsconf = path.join(self.srcdir, 'docutils.conf')
+        # read docutils.conf from source dir, not from current dir
+        OptionParser.standard_config_files[1] = docutilsconf
+        if path.isfile(docutilsconf):
+            self.note_dependency(docutilsconf)
+
         if self.config.default_role:
             role_fn, messages = roles.role(self.config.default_role, english,
                                            0, dummy_reporter)