diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index dbaee7b..ca6829f 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 name = "LiveServer"
 uuid = "16fef848-5104-11e9-1b77-fb7a48bbb589"
 authors = ["Jonas Asprion <jonas.asprion@gmx.ch", "Thibaut Lienart <tlienart@me.com>"]
-version = "1.3.1"
+version = "1.4.0"
 
 [deps]
 HTTP = "cd3eb016-35fb-5094-929b-558a96fad6f3"
 LoggingExtras = "e6f89c97-d47a-5376-807f-9c37f3926c36"
 MIMEs = "6c6e2e6c-3030-632d-7369-2d6c69616d65"
-Pkg = "44cfe95a-1eb2-52ea-b672-e2afdf69b78f"
 Sockets = "6462fe0b-24de-5631-8697-dd941f90decc"
 Test = "8dfed614-e22c-5e08-85e1-65c5234f0b40"
 
diff --git a/src/LiveServer.jl b/src/LiveServer.jl
index e4ac569..bb49ad3 100644
--- a/src/LiveServer.jl
+++ b/src/LiveServer.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module LiveServer
 
-import Sockets, Pkg, MIMEs
+import Sockets, MIMEs
 using Base.Filesystem
 using Base.Threads: @spawn
 
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index fd73d92..1e3aefc 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ subfolder `docs`.
 
 * `verbose=false`: boolean switch to make the server print information about
                    file changes and connections.
-* `doc_env=false`: a boolean switch to make the server start by activating the
-                   doc environment or not (i.e. the `Project.toml` in `docs/`).
 * `literate=nothing`: see `literate_dir`.
 * `literate_dir=nothing`: Path to a directory containing Literate scripts if
                           these are not simply under `docs/src`. 
@@ -271,7 +269,12 @@ function servedocs(;
     )
 
     # activate the doc environment if required
-    doc_env && Pkg.activate(joinpath(foldername, "Project.toml"))
+    if doc_env
+        msg = "The `doc_env` keyword argument is deprecated. Configure the environment " *
+            "before calling LiveServer.servedocs instead."
+        Base.depwarn(msg, :servedocs)
+        prev = deprecated_activate(joinpath(foldername, "Project.toml"))
+    end
 
     # trigger a first pass of Documenter (& possibly Literate)
     Main.include(abspath(path2makejl))
@@ -291,10 +294,18 @@ function servedocs(;
     )
 
     # when the serve loop is interrupted, de-activate the environment
-    doc_env && Pkg.activate()
+    if doc_env
+        deprecated_activate(prev)
+    end
     return
 end
 
+function deprecated_activate(path)
+    prev = Base.ACTIVE_PROJECT[]
+    Base.ACTIVE_PROJECT[] = path
+    return prev
+end
+
 
 #
 # Miscellaneous utils
diff --git a/test/Project.toml b/test/Project.toml
index c48b09a..c8bafe7 100644
--- a/test/Project.toml
+++ b/test/Project.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 Crayons = "a8cc5b0e-0ffa-5ad4-8c14-923d3ee1735f"
 HTTP = "cd3eb016-35fb-5094-929b-558a96fad6f3"
 MIMEs = "6c6e2e6c-3030-632d-7369-2d6c69616d65"
-Pkg = "44cfe95a-1eb2-52ea-b672-e2afdf69b78f"
 Sockets = "6462fe0b-24de-5631-8697-dd941f90decc"
 Test = "8dfed614-e22c-5e08-85e1-65c5234f0b40"