diff --git a/swh/web/doc_config.py b/swh/web/doc_config.py
index 02a4b0bb7..e139a414d 100644
--- a/swh/web/doc_config.py
+++ b/swh/web/doc_config.py
@@ -1,66 +1,71 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2017-2018  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU Affero General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import os
 
 from sphinxcontrib import httpdomain
 
-from swh.docs.sphinx.conf import setup as orig_setup
-
 from sphinx.ext import autodoc
 
+# guard to avoid ImportError when running tests through sbuild
+# as there is no Debian package built for swh-docs
+try:
+    from swh.docs.sphinx.conf import setup as orig_setup
+except Exception:
+    pass
+
 
 class SimpleDocumenter(autodoc.FunctionDocumenter):
     """
     Custom autodoc directive to display a docstring unindented
     and without function signature header.
     """
     objtype = "simple"
 
     # do not indent the content
     content_indent = ""
 
     # do not add a header to the docstring
     def add_directive_header(self, sig):
         pass
 
 
 _swh_web_base_url = 'https://archive.softwareheritage.org'
 _swh_web_api_endpoint = 'api'
 _swh_web_api_version = 1
 _swh_web_api_url = '%s/%s/%s/' % (_swh_web_base_url,
                                   _swh_web_api_endpoint,
                                   _swh_web_api_version)
 
 _swh_web_browse_endpoint = 'browse'
 _swh_web_browse_url = '%s/%s/' % (_swh_web_base_url,
                                   _swh_web_browse_endpoint)
 
 
 def setup(app):
     orig_setup(app)
     app.add_autodocumenter(SimpleDocumenter)
     # set an environment variable indicating we are currently
     # building the swh-web documentation
     os.environ['SWH_WEB_DOC_BUILD'] = '1'
 
 
 def customize_sphinx_conf(sphinx_conf):
     """
     Utility function used to customize the sphinx doc build for swh-web
     globally (when building doc from swh-docs) or locally (when building doc
     from swh-web).
 
     Args:
         sphinx_conf (module): a reference to the sphinx conf.py module
             used to build the doc.
     """
     # fix for sphinxcontrib.httpdomain 1.3
     if 'Link' not in httpdomain.HEADER_REFS:
         httpdomain.HEADER_REFS['Link'] = httpdomain.IETFRef(5988, '5')
     sphinx_conf.extlinks['swh_web'] = (_swh_web_base_url + '/%s', None)
     sphinx_conf.extlinks['swh_web_api'] = (_swh_web_api_url + '%s', None)
     sphinx_conf.extlinks['swh_web_browse'] = (_swh_web_browse_url + '%s', None)
     sphinx_conf.setup = setup