diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/sphinx/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/sphinx/default.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ae08db31b2a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/sphinx/default.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+{ lib
+, buildPythonPackage
+, fetchPypi
+, pytest
+, simplejson
+, mock
+, glibcLocales
+, html5lib
+, pythonOlder
+, enum34
+, python
+, docutils
+, jinja2
+, pygments
+, alabaster
+, Babel
+, snowballstemmer
+, six
+, sqlalchemy
+, whoosh
+, imagesize
+, requests
+}:
+
+buildPythonPackage rec {
+  name = "${pname}-${version}";
+  pname = "Sphinx";
+  version = "1.5.2";
+  src = fetchPypi {
+    inherit pname version;
+    sha256 = "049c48393909e4704a6ed4de76fd39c8622e165414660bfb767e981e7931c722";
+  };
+  LC_ALL = "en_US.UTF-8";
+  buildInputs = [ pytest simplejson mock glibcLocales html5lib ] ++ lib.optional (pythonOlder "3.4") enum34;
+  # Disable two tests that require network access.
+  checkPhase = ''
+    cd tests; ${python.interpreter} run.py --ignore py35 -k 'not test_defaults and not test_anchors_ignored'
+  '';
+  propagatedBuildInputs = [
+    docutils
+    jinja2
+    pygments
+    alabaster
+    Babel
+    snowballstemmer
+    six
+    sqlalchemy
+    whoosh
+    imagesize
+    requests
+  ];
+
+  # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/22501
+  # Do not run `python sphinx-build arguments` but `sphinx-build arguments`.
+  postPatch = ''
+    substituteInPlace sphinx/make_mode.py --replace "sys.executable, " ""
+  '';
+
+  meta = {
+    description = "A tool that makes it easy to create intelligent and beautiful documentation for Python projects";
+    homepage = http://sphinx.pocoo.org/;
+    license = lib.licenses.bsd3;
+    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ nand0p ];
+  };
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
index b2f0c195dfec..835118b0f20d 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/python-packages.nix
@@ -22202,50 +22202,9 @@ in {
     };
   });
 
-  sphinx = buildPythonPackage (rec {
-    name = "${pname}-${version}";
-    pname = "Sphinx";
-    version = "1.5.2";
-    src = fetchPypi {
-      inherit pname version;
-      sha256 = "049c48393909e4704a6ed4de76fd39c8622e165414660bfb767e981e7931c722";
-    };
-    LC_ALL = "en_US.UTF-8";
-    buildInputs = with self; [ pytest simplejson mock pkgs.glibcLocales html5lib ] ++ optional (pythonOlder "3.4") self.enum34;
-    # Disable two tests that require network access.
-    checkPhase = ''
-      cd tests; ${python.interpreter} run.py --ignore py35 -k 'not test_defaults and not test_anchors_ignored'
-    '';
-    propagatedBuildInputs = with self; [
-      docutils
-      jinja2
-      pygments
-      alabaster
-      Babel
-      snowballstemmer
-      six
-      sqlalchemy
-      whoosh
-      imagesize
-      requests
-    ];
+  sphinx = callPackage ../development/python-modules/sphinx { };
 
-    # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/22501
-    # Do not run `python sphinx-build arguments` but `sphinx-build arguments`.
-    postPatch = ''
-      substituteInPlace sphinx/make_mode.py --replace "sys.executable, " ""
-    '';
-
-    meta = {
-      description = "A tool that makes it easy to create intelligent and beautiful documentation for Python projects";
-      homepage = http://sphinx.pocoo.org/;
-      license = licenses.bsd3;
-      maintainers = with maintainers; [ nand0p ];
-      platforms = platforms.all;
-    };
-  });
-
-  sphinx_1_2 = self.sphinx.override rec {
+  sphinx_1_2 = self.sphinx.overridePythonPackage rec {
     name = "sphinx-1.2.3";
     src = pkgs.fetchurl {
       url = "mirror://pypi/s/sphinx/sphinx-1.2.3.tar.gz";