diff --git a/docs/meson.build b/docs/meson.build
index 34fda6853d..27c6e156ff 100644
--- a/docs/meson.build
+++ b/docs/meson.build
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ endif
 if build_docs
   SPHINX_ARGS += ['-Dversion=' + meson.project_version(), '-Drelease=' + config_host['PKGVERSION']]
 
-  sphinx_template_files = [ meson.project_source_root() / 'docs/_templates/footer.html' ]
-
   have_ga = have_tools and config_host.has_key('CONFIG_GUEST_AGENT')
 
   man_pages = {
@@ -70,7 +68,6 @@ if build_docs
                 output: 'docs.stamp',
                 input: files('conf.py'),
                 depfile: 'docs.d',
-                depend_files: [ sphinx_template_files ],
                 command: [SPHINX_ARGS, '-Ddepfile=@DEPFILE@',
                           '-Ddepfile_stamp=@OUTPUT0@',
                           '-b', 'html', '-d', private_dir,