diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes.rst b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
index 730906262c23..495aa05f4e5a 100644
--- a/doc/api/api_changes.rst
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
@@ -10,14 +10,13 @@ out what caused the breakage and how to fix it by updating your code.
 For new features that were added to Matplotlib, please see
 :ref:`whats-new`.
 
-.. for a release comment out the toctree below
+.. ifconfig:: __import__('pkg_resources').parse_version(version).local
 
+   .. toctree::
+      :glob:
+      :maxdepth: 1
 
-.. toctree::
-   :glob:
-   :maxdepth: 1
-
-   next_api_changes/*
+      next_api_changes/*
 
 
 API Changes in 2.2.0
diff --git a/doc/conf.py b/doc/conf.py
index d011a25fc6ea..c4a0e138df98 100644
--- a/doc/conf.py
+++ b/doc/conf.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     'sphinx.ext.autodoc',
     'sphinx.ext.autosummary',
     'sphinx.ext.doctest',
+    'sphinx.ext.ifconfig',
     'sphinx.ext.inheritance_diagram',
     'sphinx.ext.intersphinx',
     'IPython.sphinxext.ipython_console_highlighting',
diff --git a/doc/devel/release_guide.rst b/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
index 73d7eb8bea39..d0db699e5d51 100644
--- a/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
+++ b/doc/devel/release_guide.rst
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ Review and commit changes.  Some issue/PR titles may not be valid rst (the most
 Check Docs
 ----------
 
-Before tagging, update the what's new listing in :file:`doc/users/whats_new.rst`
-by merging all files in :file:`doc/users/next_whats_new/` coherently. Also,
-temporarily comment out the include and toctree glob; re-instate these after a
-release. Finally, make sure that the docs build cleanly ::
+Before tagging, update the what's new listing in
+:file:`doc/users/whats_new.rst` by merging all files in
+:file:`doc/users/next_whats_new/` coherently.  Then, make sure that the docs
+build cleanly::
 
   make -Cdoc O=-n$(nproc) html latexpdf
 
diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/README.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/README.rst
index e29acc0f00a9..7444fe8b6632 100644
--- a/doc/users/next_whats_new/README.rst
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/README.rst
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ When adding an entry please look at the currently existing files to
 see if you can extend any of them.  If you create a file, name it
 something like :file:`cool_new_feature.rst` if you have added a brand new
 feature or something like :file:`updated_feature.rst` for extensions of
-existing features.  Include contents of the form: ::
+existing features.  Include contents of the form:
+
+.. code-block:: rst
 
     Section Title for Feature
     -------------------------
diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new.rst b/doc/users/whats_new.rst
index df0aa9375632..2ac5da03cf6b 100644
--- a/doc/users/whats_new.rst
+++ b/doc/users/whats_new.rst
@@ -10,16 +10,14 @@ revision, see the :ref:`github-stats`.
 .. contents:: Table of Contents
    :depth: 4
 
+.. ifconfig:: __import__('pkg_resources').parse_version(version).local
 
-..
-   For a release, add a new section after this, then comment out the include
-   and toctree below by indenting them. Uncomment them after the release.
-.. include:: next_whats_new/README.rst
-.. toctree::
-   :glob:
-   :maxdepth: 1
+   .. include:: next_whats_new/README.rst
+   .. toctree::
+      :glob:
+      :maxdepth: 1
 
-   next_whats_new/*
+      next_whats_new/*
 
 
 New in Matplotlib 2.2