diff --git a/src/sage_setup/docbuild/__init__.py b/src/sage_setup/docbuild/__init__.py
index 0f2700168a..60f71357d2 100644
--- a/src/sage_setup/docbuild/__init__.py
+++ b/src/sage_setup/docbuild/__init__.py
@@ -86,26 +86,6 @@ def builder_helper(type):
     """
     Returns a function which builds the documentation for
     output type ``type``.
-
-    TESTS:
-
-    Check that :trac:`25161` has been resolved::
-
-        sage: from sage_setup.docbuild import DocBuilder, setup_parser
-        sage: DocBuilder._options = setup_parser().parse_args([])[0] # builder_helper needs _options to be set
-
-        sage: import sage_setup.docbuild.sphinxbuild
-        sage: def raiseBaseException():
-        ....:     raise BaseException("abort pool operation")
-        sage: original_runsphinx, sage_setup.docbuild.sphinxbuild.runsphinx = sage_setup.docbuild.sphinxbuild.runsphinx, raiseBaseException
-
-        sage: from sage_setup.docbuild import builder_helper, build_many, build_ref_doc
-        sage: helper = builder_helper("html")
-        sage: try:
-        ....:     build_many(build_ref_doc, [("docname", "en", "html", {})])
-        ....: except Exception as E:
-        ....:     "Non-exception during docbuild: abort pool operation" in str(E)
-        True
     """
     def f(self, *args, **kwds):
         output_dir = self._output_dir(type)
@@ -127,10 +107,9 @@ def builder_helper(type):
         logger.debug(build_command)
 
         # Run Sphinx with Sage's special logger
-        sys.argv = ["sphinx-build"] + build_command.split()
-        from .sphinxbuild import runsphinx
+        args = "python -um sage_setup.docbuild.sphinxbuild -N".split() + build_command.split()
         try:
-            runsphinx()
+            subprocess.check_call(args)
         except Exception:
             if ABORT_ON_ERROR:
                 raise
diff --git a/src/sage_setup/docbuild/sphinxbuild.py b/src/sage_setup/docbuild/sphinxbuild.py
index 9a2fba79bc..77c8ed3592 100644
--- a/src/sage_setup/docbuild/sphinxbuild.py
+++ b/src/sage_setup/docbuild/sphinxbuild.py
@@ -318,3 +318,8 @@ def runsphinx():
         sys.stderr = saved_stderr
         sys.stdout.flush()
         sys.stderr.flush()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    import sys
+    sys.argv[0] = "sphinx-build"
+    runsphinx()