diff --git a/project/Release.scala b/project/Release.scala
index 84335c7594..466b18a59e 100644
--- a/project/Release.scala
+++ b/project/Release.scala
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ object Release extends ParadoxKeys {
     releaseDirectory := crossTarget.value / "release")
 
   lazy val commandSettings = Seq(
-    commands += buildReleaseCommand)
+    commands ++= Seq(buildReleaseCommand, buildDocsCommand))
 
   def buildReleaseCommand = Command.command("buildRelease") { state ⇒
     val extracted = Project.extract(state)
@@ -27,14 +27,32 @@ object Release extends ParadoxKeys {
     val projectRef = extracted.get(thisProjectRef)
     val repo = extracted.get(Publish.defaultPublishTo)
     val state1 = extracted.runAggregated(publishSigned in projectRef, state)
-    // Make sure you set "-Dakka.genjavadoc.enabled=true" otherwise no
-    // japi will be generated and this following match will fail:
-    val (state2, Seq(japi, api)) = extracted.runTask(unidoc in Compile, state1)
-    val (state3, docs) = extracted.runTask(paradox in ProjectRef(projectRef.build, "akka-docs") in Compile, state2)
 
     IO.delete(release)
     IO.createDirectory(release)
     IO.copyDirectory(repo, release / "releases")
+    state1
+  }
+
+  def buildDocsCommand = Command.command("buildDocs") { state =>
+    if (!sys.props.contains("akka.genjavadoc.enabled"))
+      throw new RuntimeException("Make sure you start sbt with \"-J-Dakka.genjavadoc.enabled=true\" otherwise no japi will be generated")
+    val extracted = Project.extract(state)
+    // we want to build the api-docs and docs with 2.12.x
+    val scalaV = extracted.get(scalaVersion) 
+    if (!scalaV.startsWith("2.12"))
+      throw new RuntimeException(s"The docs should be built with Scala 2.12 (was $scalaV)")
+    val release = extracted.get(releaseDirectory)
+    val releaseVersion = extracted.get(version)
+    val projectRef = extracted.get(thisProjectRef)
+
+    val (state2, Seq(japi, api)) = extracted.runTask(unidoc in Compile, state)
+    val (state3, docs) = extracted.runTask(paradox in ProjectRef(projectRef.build, "akka-docs") in Compile, state2)
+
+    IO.delete(release / "api")
+    IO.delete(release / "japi")
+    IO.delete(release / "docsapi")
+    IO.createDirectory(release)
     IO.copyDirectory(api, release / "api" / "akka" / releaseVersion)
     IO.copyDirectory(japi, release / "japi" / "akka" / releaseVersion)
     IO.copyDirectory(docs, release / "docs" / "akka" / releaseVersion)
diff --git a/project/scripts/release b/project/scripts/release
index ce808e683c..7ce2092279 100755
--- a/project/scripts/release
+++ b/project/scripts/release
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ else
   RELEASE_OPT="-Dakka.genjavadoc.enabled=true"
 fi
 try sbt $RELEASE_OPT +buildRelease
+try sbt $RELEASE_OPT buildDocs
 echolog "Successfully created local release"
 
 # check binary compatibility for dry run