diff --git a/.github/workflows/doc_builds.yml b/.github/workflows/doc_builds.yml
index dac94c9..c817cc9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/doc_builds.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/doc_builds.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ jobs:
           cd hdmf-common-schema
           python -m pip install -r requirements-doc.txt
 
+      - name: Install the current hdmf-docutils
+        run: |
+          pip uninstall hdmf-docutils --yes
+          pip install .
+
       - name: Build HDMF-Common-Schema Docs
         run: |
           cd hdmf-common-schema
@@ -35,6 +40,11 @@ jobs:
           cd nwb-schema
           python -m pip install -r requirements-doc.txt
 
+      - name: Install the current hdmf-docutils
+        run: |
+          pip uninstall hdmf-docutils --yes
+          pip install .
+
       - name: Build NWB-Schema Docs
         run: |
           cd nwb-schema
diff --git a/hdmf_docutils/doctools/rst.py b/hdmf_docutils/doctools/rst.py
index ac41232..952f1cd 100644
--- a/hdmf_docutils/doctools/rst.py
+++ b/hdmf_docutils/doctools/rst.py
@@ -288,17 +288,14 @@ def spec_to_yaml(spec):
         :return: YAML string for the current specification
         """
         import json
-        import sys
-
-        try:
-            from ruamel import yaml
-        except ImportError:
-            import yaml
+        from ruamel.yaml import YAML
+        from ruamel.yaml.compat import StringIO
         clean_spec = json.loads(json.dumps(spec, sort_keys=True, indent=4, separators=(',', ': ')))
-        if sys.version_info[0] == 3:
-            return yaml.dump(clean_spec, default_flow_style=False)
-        else:
-            return yaml.safe_dump(clean_spec, default_flow_style=False)
+        yaml = YAML(pure=True)
+        yaml.default_flow_style = False
+        stream = StringIO()
+        yaml.dump(clean_spec, stream)
+        return stream.getvalue()
 
     def add_spec(self, spec):
         """
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 046caa1..805c2af 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
         'pillow',
         'sphinx',
         'sphinx-gallery',
-        'sphinx_rtd_theme'
+        'sphinx_rtd_theme',
+        'ruamel.yaml'
     ],
     'setup_requires': 'pytest-runner',
     'packages': find_packages(),