diff --git a/python-doc.spec b/python-doc.spec
index 8669b73..67df0d8 100644
--- a/python-doc.spec
+++ b/python-doc.spec
@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ Python, and Macintosh Module Reference in PDF format.
 sed -i 's/^version_required/dnl version_required/' configure.ac
 # COMMON-PREP-END
 
+# Update documentation formatting for Sphinx 3.0 (bpo#40204)
+for i in `find Doc/ -type f -name "*.rst"`
+do
+  sed -i 's/:c:type:/:c:expr:/g' $i
+done
+
 %build
 TODAY_DATE=`date -r %{S:0} "+%B %d, %Y"`
 # TODO use not date of tarball but date of latest patch