diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 4bd9b4622..aa38012d1 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ Features added
 --------------
 
 * #4181: autodoc: Sort dictionary keys when possible
-* Add :confval:`smart_quotes` to disable smart quotes through ``conf.py``
-  (refs: #3967)
 
 Bugs fixed
 ----------
diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index 329b6fa20..7a6d20147 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ and output behavior.
 
 The configuration file is executed as Python code at build time (using
 :func:`execfile`, and with the current directory set to its containing
-directory), and therefore can execute arbitrarily complex code.
+directory), and therefore can execute arbitrarily complex code.  Sphinx then
+reads simple names from the file's namespace as its configuration.
 
 Important points to note:
 
@@ -341,14 +342,6 @@ General configuration
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.3
 
-.. confval:: smart_quotes
-
-   If true, `SmartyPants <https://daringfireball.net/projects/smartypants/>`_
-   will be used to convert quotes and dashes to typographically correct
-   entities.  Default: ``True``.
-
-   .. versionadded:: 1.6.6
-
 .. confval:: tls_verify
 
    If true, Sphinx verifies server certifications.  Default is ``True``.
@@ -785,9 +778,8 @@ that use Sphinx's HTMLWriter class.
    entities.  Default: ``True``.
 
    .. deprecated:: 1.6
-      To disable smart quotes, use :confval:`smart_quotes` or the Docutils
-      configuration file (``docutils.conf``) instead to set there its
-      `smart_quotes option`_.
+      To disable or customize smart quotes, use the Docutils configuration file
+      (``docutils.conf``) instead to set there its `smart_quotes option`_.
 
       .. _`smart_quotes option`: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/docs/user/config.html#smart-quotes
 
diff --git a/sphinx/config.py b/sphinx/config.py
index 5308c52bf..02ee529a3 100644
--- a/sphinx/config.py
+++ b/sphinx/config.py
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ class Config(object):
 
         tls_verify = (True, 'env'),
         tls_cacerts = (None, 'env'),
-        smart_quotes = (True, 'env'),
     )  # type: Dict[unicode, Tuple]
 
     def __init__(self, dirname, filename, overrides, tags):
diff --git a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
index 9aec464a4..522414ea6 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
@@ -677,14 +677,14 @@ class BuildEnvironment(object):
         language = self.config.language or 'en'
         self.settings['language_code'] = language
         if 'smart_quotes' not in self.settings:
+            self.settings['smart_quotes'] = True
             if self.config.html_use_smartypants is not None:
                 warnings.warn("html_use_smartypants option is deprecated. Smart "
                               "quotes are on by default; if you want to disable "
-                              "them, use the smart_quotes option",
+                              "or customize them, use the smart_quotes option in "
+                              "docutils.conf.",
                               RemovedInSphinx17Warning)
                 self.settings['smart_quotes'] = self.config.html_use_smartypants
-            else:
-                self.settings['smart_quotes'] = self.config.smart_quotes
 
         # confirm selected language supports smart_quotes or not
         for tag in normalize_language_tag(language):