diff --git a/docs/conf.py b/docs/conf.py
index bb1d613584..b9b1125572 100755
--- a/docs/conf.py
+++ b/docs/conf.py
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ pygments_style = 'sphinx'
 # If true, keep warnings as "system message" paragraphs in the built documents.
 #keep_warnings = False
 
+# Global include files. Sphinx docs suggest using rst_epilog in preference
+# of rst_prolog, so we follow. Absolute paths below mean "from the base
+# of the doctree".
+rst_epilog = """
+.. include:: /templates/replace.inc
+"""
 
 # -- Options for HTML output ----------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/docs/templates/replace.inc b/docs/templates/replace.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6ed79cc7ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/templates/replace.inc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.. # This file is intended for global "replace" definitions.