diff --git a/docs/config-file/v2.rst b/docs/config-file/v2.rst
index 3baf8615dff..3619e175147 100644
--- a/docs/config-file/v2.rst
+++ b/docs/config-file/v2.rst
@@ -175,6 +175,27 @@ Example:
   manage the build, this setting will not have any effect. Instead
   add the extra requirements to the ``environment`` file of Conda.
 
+Requirements List
+'''''''''''''''''
+
+Install packages from a list of requirements as a string (similar to how they would be
+listed on the command-line when invoking ``pip install``).
+
+:Key: `requires`
+:Type: ``string``
+:Required: ``true``
+
+Example:
+
+.. code-block:: yaml
+
+   version: 2
+
+   python:
+      version: 3.7
+      install:
+         - requires: mkdocs-material Pygments
+
 Packages
 ''''''''
 
diff --git a/readthedocs/config/config.py b/readthedocs/config/config.py
index 244135277eb..9bc267fce4c 100644
--- a/readthedocs/config/config.py
+++ b/readthedocs/config/config.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import copy
 import os
 import re
+import shlex
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@
     Python,
     PythonInstall,
     PythonInstallRequirements,
+    PythonInstallRequirementsList,
     Search,
     Sphinx,
     Submodules,
@@ -833,6 +835,9 @@ def validate_python_install(self, index):
                     self.base_path,
                 )
                 python_install['requirements'] = requirements
+        elif 'requires' in raw_install:
+            requires_key = key + 'requires'
+            python_install['requires'] = shlex.split(self.pop_config(requires_key))
         elif 'path' in raw_install:
             path_key = key + '.path'
             with self.catch_validation_error(path_key):
@@ -1086,9 +1091,10 @@ def _get_extra_key(self, value):
 
         Will return `['key', 'name']`.
         """
-        if isinstance(value, dict) and value:
-            key_name = next(iter(value))
-            return [key_name] + self._get_extra_key(value[key_name])
+        if isinstance(value, dict):
+            key_name = next((k for k in value if not k.startswith('x-')), None)
+            if key_name is not None:
+                return [key_name] + self._get_extra_key(value[key_name])
         return []
 
     @property
@@ -1112,6 +1118,8 @@ def python(self):
         for install in python['install']:
             if 'requirements' in install:
                 python_install.append(PythonInstallRequirements(**install),)
+            elif 'requires' in install:
+                python_install.append(PythonInstallRequirementsList(install['requires']),)
             elif 'path' in install:
                 python_install.append(PythonInstall(**install),)
         return Python(
diff --git a/readthedocs/config/models.py b/readthedocs/config/models.py
index 55932e991d4..4690511f82d 100644
--- a/readthedocs/config/models.py
+++ b/readthedocs/config/models.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ class PythonInstallRequirements(Base):
     __slots__ = ('requirements',)
 
 
+class PythonInstallRequirementsList(Base):
+
+    __slots__ = ('requirements',)
+
+
 class PythonInstall(Base):
 
     __slots__ = (
diff --git a/readthedocs/config/tests/test_config.py b/readthedocs/config/tests/test_config.py
index 3ee20d1653c..1a8136dab50 100644
--- a/readthedocs/config/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/readthedocs/config/tests/test_config.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     Conda,
     PythonInstall,
     PythonInstallRequirements,
+    PythonInstallRequirementsList,
 )
 from readthedocs.config.validation import (
     INVALID_BOOL,
@@ -1104,6 +1105,23 @@ def test_python_install_requirements_check_valid(self, tmpdir):
         assert isinstance(install[0], PythonInstallRequirements)
         assert install[0].requirements == 'requirements.txt'
 
+    def test_python_install_requires_check_valid(self, tmpdir):
+        build = self.get_build_config(
+            {
+                'python': {
+                    'install': [{
+                        'requires': 'package_a "package_b >=3.0.0,<4.0.0"',
+                    }],
+                },
+            },
+            source_file=str(tmpdir.join('readthedocs.yml')),
+        )
+        build.validate()
+        install = build.python.install
+        assert len(install) == 1
+        assert isinstance(install[0], PythonInstallRequirementsList)
+        assert install[0].requirements == ['package_a', 'package_b >=3.0.0,<4.0.0']
+
     def test_python_install_requirements_does_not_allow_null(self, tmpdir):
         build = self.get_build_config(
             {
diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
index d165ab2213d..7a55d6e024f 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/python_environments.py
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@
 
 from readthedocs.builds.constants import EXTERNAL
 from readthedocs.config import PIP, SETUPTOOLS, ParseError, parse as parse_yaml
-from readthedocs.config.models import PythonInstall, PythonInstallRequirements
+from readthedocs.config.models import (
+    PythonInstall,
+    PythonInstallRequirements,
+    PythonInstallRequirementsList,
+)
 from readthedocs.doc_builder.config import load_yaml_config
 from readthedocs.doc_builder.constants import DOCKER_IMAGE
 from readthedocs.doc_builder.environments import DockerBuildEnvironment
@@ -77,6 +81,8 @@ def install_requirements(self):
         for install in self.config.python.install:
             if isinstance(install, PythonInstallRequirements):
                 self.install_requirements_file(install)
+            if isinstance(install, PythonInstallRequirementsList):
+                self.install_requirements_list(install)
             if isinstance(install, PythonInstall):
                 self.install_package(install)
 
@@ -430,6 +436,33 @@ def install_requirements_file(self, install):
                 bin_path=self.venv_bin(),
             )
 
+    def install_requirements_list(self, install):
+        """
+        Install requirements from a string specification using pip.
+
+        :param install: A instal object from the config module.
+        :type install: readthedocs.config.modules.PythonInstallRequirementsList
+        """
+
+        args = [
+            self.venv_bin(filename='python'),
+            '-m',
+            'pip',
+            'install',
+        ]
+        if self.project.has_feature(Feature.PIP_ALWAYS_UPGRADE):
+            args += ['--upgrade']
+        args += [
+            '--exists-action=w',
+            *self._pip_cache_cmd_argument(),
+        ]
+        args += install.requirements
+        self.build_env.run(
+            *args,
+            cwd=self.checkout_path,
+            bin_path=self.venv_bin(),
+        )
+
     def list_packages_installed(self):
         """List packages installed in pip."""
         args = [