diff --git a/docs/Makefile b/docs/Makefile
--- a/docs/Makefile
+++ b/docs/Makefile
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 include ../../swh-docs/Makefile.sphinx
+include Makefile.local
diff --git a/docs/Makefile.local b/docs/Makefile.local
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/Makefile.local
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+sphinx/clean:
+	if [ -f "$(CURDIR)/images/Makefile" ]; then \
+		make -C $(CURDIR)/images/ clean; \
+	fi
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -M clean $(SPHINX_SRCDIR) $(SPHINX_BUILDDIR) $(SPHINXOPTS)
+sphinx/%: $(apidoc_dep)
+	if [ -f "$(CURDIR)/images/Makefile" ]; then \
+		make -C $(CURDIR)/images/ $@; \
+	fi
+	$(SPHINXBUILD) -b $* $(SPHINX_SRCDIR) $(SPHINX_BUILDDIR)/$* $(SPHINXOPTS)
diff --git a/docs/images/Makefile b/docs/images/Makefile
--- a/docs/images/Makefile
+++ b/docs/images/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 
 all: $(BUILD_TARGETS)
 
+sphinx/html: all
+
+sphinx/clean: clean
+
 
 # dia exporters