diff --git a/conda/meta.yaml b/conda/meta.yaml
index eb3284c3ec7341357a8d3a640baf6ed35902f834..03e3c78cf3b9b18d6933b855dc62a95deef64868 100644
--- a/conda/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/meta.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 {% set name = 'beat.backend.python' %}
-{% set project_dir = environ.get('RECIPE_DIR') + '/..' %}
 
 package:
   name: {{ name }}
@@ -7,7 +6,6 @@ package:
 
 build:
   entry_points:
-
     - execute = beat.backend.python.scripts.execute:main
     - loop_execute = beat.backend.python.scripts.loop_execute:main
     - describe = beat.backend.python.scripts.describe:main
@@ -17,11 +15,15 @@ build:
   run_exports:
     - {{ pin_subpackage(name) }}
   script:
-    - cd {{ project_dir }}
+    - cd {{ environ.get('RECIPE_DIR') + '/..' }}
     {% if environ.get('BUILD_EGG') %}
     - python setup.py sdist --formats=zip
     {% endif %}
     - python setup.py install --single-version-externally-managed --record record.txt
+    # installs the documentation source, readme to share/doc so it is available
+    # during test time
+    - install -d "${PREFIX}/share/doc/{{ name }}"
+    - cp -R README.rst doc "${PREFIX}/share/doc/{{ name }}/"
 
 requirements:
   host:
@@ -48,8 +50,9 @@ test:
     - databases_provider --help
     - index --help
     - nosetests --with-coverage --cover-package={{ name }} -sv {{ name }}
-    - sphinx-build -aEW {{ project_dir }}/doc {{ project_dir }}/sphinx
-    - sphinx-build -aEb doctest {{ project_dir }}/doc sphinx
+    - sphinx-build -aEW ${PREFIX}/share/doc/{{ name }}/doc sphinx
+    - if [ -n "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}" ]; then mv sphinx "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/"; fi
+    - sphinx-build -aEb doctest ${PREFIX}/share/doc/{{ name }}/doc sphinx
     - conda inspect linkages -p $PREFIX {{ name }}  # [not win]
     - conda inspect objects -p $PREFIX {{ name }}  # [osx]
   requires:
@@ -66,3 +69,4 @@ about:
   license: AGPLv3
   summary: Python Backend for the BEAT Platform
   license_family: AGPL
+  license_file: ../LICENSE.AGPL