diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index 4a665be7cc..5f0e1a97f5 100644
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ def nothing(*arg):
 intersphinx_mapping = {
     'colander': ('https://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/colander/en/latest', None),
     'cookbook': ('https://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/pyramid-cookbook/en/latest/', None),
-    'cookiecutter': ('https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/', None),
     'deform': ('https://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/deform/en/latest', None),
     'jinja2': ('https://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/pyramid-jinja2/en/latest/', None),
     'plaster': ('https://docs.pylonsproject.org/projects/plaster/en/latest/', None),
diff --git a/docs/glossary.rst b/docs/glossary.rst
index 7e16b569e8..59d9c7a8f6 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.rst
+++ b/docs/glossary.rst
@@ -1153,7 +1153,7 @@ Glossary
       packaging.
 
    cookiecutter
-      A command-line utility that creates projects from :ref:`cookiecutters <cookiecutter:readme>` (project templates), e.g., creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.
+      A command-line utility that creates projects from `cookiecutters <https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`_ (project templates), e.g., creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.
 
       Pyramid cookiecutters include:
 
diff --git a/docs/narr/cookiecutters.rst b/docs/narr/cookiecutters.rst
index abedb25b91..d4a2134a7e 100644
--- a/docs/narr/cookiecutters.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/cookiecutters.rst
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Pyramid cookiecutters
 
 .. versionadded:: 1.8
 
-A :term:`cookiecutter` is a command-line utility that creates projects from :ref:`cookiecutters <cookiecutter:readme>` (project templates), e.g., creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.
+A :term:`cookiecutter` is a command-line utility that creates projects from `cookiecutters <https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`__ (project templates), e.g., creating a Python package project from a Python package project template.
 
 Pyramid cookiecutters have replaced the now deprecated Pyramid scaffolds, and should be used going forward. Pyramid cookiecutters released under the Pylons Project include:
 
diff --git a/docs/narr/project.rst b/docs/narr/project.rst
index c1ab093eb0..14877e7f9e 100644
--- a/docs/narr/project.rst
+++ b/docs/narr/project.rst
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ In :ref:`installing_chapter`, you created a virtual Python environment via the
 ``venv`` command. We called the virtual environment directory
 ``env`` and set an environment variable ``VENV`` to its path.
 
-We assume that you :ref:`previously installed cookiecutter <cookiecutters>`, following its installation instructions.
+We assume that you `previously installed cookiecutter <https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/>`_, following its installation instructions.
 
 We'll choose ``pyramid-cookiecutter-starter`` to start the project.  When we invoke ``cookiecutter``, it will create a directory that represents our project.
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index f17d5072de..aced11ef3d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 
 
 docs_extras = [
-    'Sphinx >= 1.8.1',
+    'Sphinx < 3.0.0',
     'docutils',
     'repoze.sphinx.autointerface',
     'pylons_sphinx_latesturl',