diff --git a/Doc/Makefile b/Doc/Makefile
index 9df8e1d95ed..f5c890c60b7 100644
--- a/Doc/Makefile
+++ b/Doc/Makefile
@@ -161,16 +161,17 @@ check:
 serve:
 	../Tools/scripts/serve.py build/html
 
-# Targets for automatic doc build
+# Targets for daily automated doc build
 
 # for development releases: always build
 autobuild-dev:
 	make update
-	make dist
+	make dist SPHINXOPTS='-A daily=1'
 
-# for stable releases: only build if not in development mode
+# for stable releases: only build if not in pre-release stage (alpha, beta, rc)
 autobuild-stable:
 	@case $(DISTVERSION) in *[abc]*) \
-		echo "Not building; not a release version.";  exit 1;; \
+		echo "Not building; $(DISTVERSION) is not a release version."; \
+		exit 1;; \
 	esac
 	@make autobuild-dev
diff --git a/Doc/tools/sphinxext/download.html b/Doc/tools/sphinxext/download.html
index 22a03a0d2fb..4fca13882a5 100644
--- a/Doc/tools/sphinxext/download.html
+++ b/Doc/tools/sphinxext/download.html
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 {% extends "layout.html" %}
 {% set title = 'Download' %}
-{% set dlbase = 'http://docs.python.org/ftp/python/doc/' + release %}
-{% block body %}
+{% if daily is defined %}
+  {% set dlbase = pathto('archives', 1) %}
+{% else %}
+  {% set dlbase = 'http://docs.python.org/ftp/python/doc/' + release %}
+{% endif %}
 
+{% block body %}
 <h1>Download Python {{ release }} Documentation</h1>
 
-{% if 'a' in release or 'b' in release or 'c' in release %}
-<p>We don't package the documentation for development releases for download.
-  Downloads will be available for the final release.</p>
-
-{% else %}
 {% if last_updated %}<p><b>Last updated on: {{ last_updated }}.</b></p>{% endif %}
 
 <p>To download an archive containing all the documents for this version of
@@ -55,6 +54,4 @@ platform. These are created on Unix using the InfoZIP zip program.</p>
 
 <p>If you have comments or suggestions for the Python documentation, please send
 email to <a href="mailto:docs@python.org">docs@python.org</a>.</p>
-{% endif %}
-
 {% endblock %}