diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
index c25c88d470a..f80998c9fb4 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-
 """
 MkDocs_ backend for building docs.
 
 .. _MkDocs: http://www.mkdocs.org/
 """
+
 import json
 import logging
 import os
diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
index 9273ab2bba0..61258b269bc 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-
 """An abstraction over virtualenv and Conda environments."""
 
 import copy
@@ -9,8 +7,6 @@
 import os
 import shutil
 
-from django.conf import settings
-
 from readthedocs.config import PIP, SETUPTOOLS
 from readthedocs.config.models import PythonInstall, PythonInstallRequirements
 from readthedocs.doc_builder.config import load_yaml_config
@@ -295,7 +291,13 @@ def install_core_requirements(self):
         ]
 
         if self.config.doctype == 'mkdocs':
-            requirements.append('mkdocs==0.17.3')
+            requirements.append(
+                self.project.get_feature_value(
+                    Feature.DEFAULT_TO_MKDOCS_0_17_3,
+                    positive='mkdocs==0.17.3',
+                    negative='mkdocs<1.1',
+                ),
+            )
         else:
             # We will assume semver here and only automate up to the next
             # backward incompatible release: 2.x
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/models.py b/readthedocs/projects/models.py
index fab466a58f5..63495515cae 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/models.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/models.py
@@ -1312,6 +1312,7 @@ def add_features(sender, **kwargs):
     USE_TESTING_BUILD_IMAGE = 'use_testing_build_image'
     SHARE_SPHINX_DOCTREE = 'share_sphinx_doctree'
     USE_PDF_LATEXMK = 'use_pdf_latexmk'
+    DEFAULT_TO_MKDOCS_0_17_3 = 'default_to_mkdocs_0_17_3'
 
     FEATURES = (
         (USE_SPHINX_LATEST, _('Use latest version of Sphinx')),
@@ -1346,6 +1347,10 @@ def add_features(sender, **kwargs):
             SHARE_SPHINX_DOCTREE,
             _('Use shared directory for doctrees'),
         ),
+        (
+            DEFAULT_TO_MKDOCS_0_17_3,
+            _('Install mkdocs 0.17.3 by default')
+        ),
     )
 
     projects = models.ManyToManyField(