diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/director.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/director.py
index ce93c967c7a..11514a64deb 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/director.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/director.py
@@ -307,6 +307,12 @@ def create_environment(self):
         if self.data.config.build.jobs.create_environment is not None:
             self.run_build_job("create_environment")
             return
+
+        # If the builder is generic, we have nothing to do here,
+        # as the commnads are provided by the user.
+        if self.data.config.doctype == GENERIC:
+            return
+
         self.language_environment.setup_base()
 
     # Install
@@ -315,6 +321,11 @@ def install(self):
             self.run_build_job("install")
             return
 
+        # If the builder is generic, we have nothing to do here,
+        # as the commnads are provided by the user.
+        if self.data.config.doctype == GENERIC:
+            return
+
         self.language_environment.install_core_requirements()
         self.language_environment.install_requirements()
 
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
index 454c805d5af..9941d9fdf16 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
@@ -1327,25 +1327,6 @@ def test_build_jobs_partial_build_override_without_sphinx(self, load_yaml_config
                     "virtualenv",
                     "setuptools",
                 ),
-                mock.call(
-                    "python",
-                    "-mvirtualenv",
-                    "$READTHEDOCS_VIRTUALENV_PATH",
-                    bin_path=None,
-                    cwd=None,
-                ),
-                mock.call(
-                    mock.ANY,
-                    "-m",
-                    "pip",
-                    "install",
-                    "--upgrade",
-                    "--no-cache-dir",
-                    "pip",
-                    "setuptools",
-                    bin_path=mock.ANY,
-                    cwd=mock.ANY,
-                ),
                 mock.call(
                     "echo build html",
                     escape_command=False,