diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index c501a879d..cd23f04e3 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #4209: intersphinx: In link title, "v" should be optional if target has no
   version
 * #4230: slowdown in writing pages with sphinx 1.6
+* #4522: epub: document is not rebuilt even if config changed
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py b/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
index a110a873e..d44e7f2be 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/_epub_base.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from docutils import nodes
 from docutils.utils import smartquotes
 
 from sphinx import addnodes
-from sphinx.builders.html import StandaloneHTMLBuilder
+from sphinx.builders.html import BuildInfo, StandaloneHTMLBuilder
 from sphinx.util import logging
 from sphinx.util import status_iterator
 from sphinx.util.fileutil import copy_asset_file
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ class EpubBuilder(StandaloneHTMLBuilder):
         self.id_cache = {}  # type: Dict[unicode, unicode]
         self.use_index = self.get_builder_config('use_index', 'epub')
 
+    def create_build_info(self):
+        # type: () -> BuildInfo
+        return BuildInfo(self.config, self.tags, ['html', 'epub'])
+
     def get_theme_config(self):
         # type: () -> Tuple[unicode, Dict]
         return self.config.epub_theme, self.config.epub_theme_options
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/epub3.py b/sphinx/builders/epub3.py
index 7b4dcaf37..bb18e9c9b 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/epub3.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/epub3.py
@@ -228,15 +228,15 @@ def setup(app):
 
     # config values
     app.add_config_value('epub_basename', lambda self: make_filename(self.project), None)
-    app.add_config_value('epub_theme', 'epub', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_theme_options', {}, 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_title', lambda self: self.html_title, 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_author', 'unknown', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_language', lambda self: self.language or 'en', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_publisher', 'unknown', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_copyright', lambda self: self.copyright, 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_identifier', 'unknown', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_scheme', 'unknown', 'html')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_theme', 'epub', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_theme_options', {}, 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_title', lambda self: self.html_title, 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_author', 'unknown', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_language', lambda self: self.language or 'en', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_publisher', 'unknown', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_copyright', lambda self: self.copyright, 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_identifier', 'unknown', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_scheme', 'unknown', 'epub')
     app.add_config_value('epub_uid', 'unknown', 'env')
     app.add_config_value('epub_cover', (), 'env')
     app.add_config_value('epub_guide', (), 'env')
@@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ def setup(app):
     app.add_config_value('epub_tocscope', 'default', 'env')
     app.add_config_value('epub_fix_images', False, 'env')
     app.add_config_value('epub_max_image_width', 0, 'env')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_show_urls', 'inline', 'html')
-    app.add_config_value('epub_use_index', lambda self: self.html_use_index, 'html')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_show_urls', 'inline', 'epub')
+    app.add_config_value('epub_use_index', lambda self: self.html_use_index, 'epub')
     app.add_config_value('epub_description', 'unknown', 'epub', string_classes)
     app.add_config_value('epub_contributor', 'unknown', 'epub', string_classes)
     app.add_config_value('epub_writing_mode', 'horizontal', 'epub',
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/html.py b/sphinx/builders/html.py
index bb6818af7..e2f3909cc 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/html.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/html.py
@@ -171,13 +171,13 @@ class BuildInfo(object):
         except Exception as exc:
             raise ValueError('build info file is broken: %r' % exc)
 
-    def __init__(self, config=None, tags=None):
-        # type: (Config, Tags) -> None
+    def __init__(self, config=None, tags=None, config_categories=[]):
+        # type: (Config, Tags, List[unicode]) -> None
         self.config_hash = u''
         self.tags_hash = u''
 
         if config:
-            values = dict((c.name, c.value) for c in config.filter('html'))
+            values = dict((c.name, c.value) for c in config.filter(config_categories))
             self.config_hash = get_stable_hash(values)
 
         if tags:
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ class StandaloneHTMLBuilder(Builder):
 
     def init(self):
         # type: () -> None
-        self.build_info = BuildInfo(self.config, self.tags)
+        self.build_info = self.create_build_info()
         # basename of images directory
         self.imagedir = '_images'
         # section numbers for headings in the currently visited document
@@ -274,6 +274,10 @@ class StandaloneHTMLBuilder(Builder):
                            'is old. Docutils\' version should be 0.13 or newer, but %s.') %
                           docutils.__version__)
 
+    def create_build_info(self):
+        # type: () -> BuildInfo
+        return BuildInfo(self.config, self.tags, ['html'])
+
     def _get_translations_js(self):
         # type: () -> unicode
         candidates = [path.join(dir, self.config.language,
diff --git a/sphinx/config.py b/sphinx/config.py
index e4dee0756..1f80ab366 100644
--- a/sphinx/config.py
+++ b/sphinx/config.py
@@ -342,5 +342,7 @@ class Config(object):
         self.values[name] = (default, rebuild, types)
 
     def filter(self, rebuild):
-        # type: (str) -> Iterator[ConfigValue]
-        return (value for value in self if value.rebuild == rebuild)  # type: ignore
+        # type: (Union[unicode, List[unicode]]) -> Iterator[ConfigValue]
+        if isinstance(rebuild, string_types):
+            rebuild = [rebuild]
+        return (value for value in self if value.rebuild in rebuild)  # type: ignore