diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 0f40fa8..61f9499 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -15,14 +15,12 @@ jobs:
       python: '3.7'
       dist: xenial
       sudo: required
-    -
-      python: '3.6'
+    - python: '3.6'
       env: TOXENV=djmaster
     - # readthedocs uses python 3.5 for building
       python: '3.5'
       env: TOXENV=docs
-    -
-      python: '3.6'
+    - python: '3.6'
       env: TOXENV=lint
 
     - stage: publish
@@ -45,13 +43,14 @@ jobs:
   fast_finish: true
 
 install:
- - pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
+  - python -m pip install -U pip
+  - pip install -r requirements/ci.txt
 
 before_script:
- - coverage erase
+  - coverage erase
 
 script:
- - tox
+  - tox
 
 after_success:
   - |
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index b7d456c..fd3b279 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
--r requirements/setup.txt
+# this file is only used when deploying to heroku, because heroku insists on having a root-level requirements.txt
+# for normal usage see the requirements/ directory
 .[validation]
 -r requirements/heroku.txt
diff --git a/requirements/setup.txt b/requirements/setup.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index bf6789e..0000000
--- a/requirements/setup.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# needed to build the package setup_requires in setup.py
-
-setuptools-scm>=3.0.6
diff --git a/requirements/tox.txt b/requirements/tox.txt
index eae549b..a402899 100644
--- a/requirements/tox.txt
+++ b/requirements/tox.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 # requirements for building and running tox
 tox>=3.1.2
-
--r setup.txt
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2188995..7ab033d 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ with io.open('README.rst', encoding='utf-8') as readme:
     description = readme.read()
 
 requirements = read_req('base.txt')
-requirements_setup = read_req('setup.txt')
 requirements_validation = read_req('validation.txt')
 
 
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ def drf_yasg_setup(**kwargs):
         package_dir={'': 'src'},
         include_package_data=True,
         install_requires=requirements,
-        setup_requires=requirements_setup,
         extras_require={
             'validation': requirements_validation,
         },
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 17f283e..a261fd4 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ deps =
     djmaster: https://github.com/django/django/archive/master.tar.gz
 
     # other dependencies
-    -rrequirements/setup.txt
     -rrequirements/validation.txt
     -rrequirements/test.txt
 
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@ commands =
 
 [testenv:docs]
 deps =
-    -rrequirements/setup.txt
     -rrequirements/docs.txt
 commands =
     python setup.py check --restructuredtext --metadata --strict