diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 0399bd45..53ce66a6 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -904,8 +904,7 @@ the following rules (all of them are evaluated from top to bottom):
   value, DevConfiguration is forced and ``config.py`` is used directly from the
   MBS's develop instance. For more information see |docs/CONTRIBUTING.rst|_.
 
-.. |docs/CONTRIBUTING.rst| replace:: ``docs/CONTRIBUTING.rst``
-.. _docs/CONTRIBUTING.rst: docs/CONTRIBUTING.rst
+.. substitutions for CONTRIBUTING defined above
 
 
 Setting Up Kerberos + LDAP Authentication