diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes.rst b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
index 76f328f3ecb3..7e70a16e68c7 100644
--- a/doc/api/api_changes.rst
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ original location:
   - mstream -> `from matplotlib import stream as mstream`
   - mtable -> `from matplotlib import table as mtable`
 
+* The Sphinx extensions `ipython_directive` and
+  `ipython_console_highlighting` have been moved to the IPython
+  project itself.  While they remain in matplotlib for this release,
+  they have been deprecated.  Update your extensions in `conf.py` to
+  point to `IPython.sphinxext.ipython_directive` instead of
+  `matplotlib.sphinxext.ipython_directive`.
 
 * In :module:`~matplotlib.finance`, almost all functions have been deprecated and
   replaced with a pair of functions name `*_ochl` and `*_ohlc`.  The former is
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_console_highlighting.py b/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_console_highlighting.py
index 4d32e9abaf33..0ba9cab40307 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_console_highlighting.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_console_highlighting.py
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
 from pygments.token import Comment, Generic
 
 from sphinx import highlighting
+import matplotlib
+
+matplotlib.cbook.warn_deprecated("1.4", """
+The Sphinx extension ipython_console_highlighting has moved from
+matplotlib to IPython, and its use in matplotlib is deprecated.
+Change your import from 'matplotlib.sphinxext.ipython_directive' to
+'IPython.sphinxext.ipython_directive.""")
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Global constants
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py b/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
index 69cefd99d5c8..01c64a3ce721 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/sphinxext/ipython_directive.py
@@ -80,6 +80,12 @@
 
 matplotlib.use('Agg')
 
+matplotlib.cbook.warn_deprecated("1.4", """
+The Sphinx extension ipython_console_highlighting has moved from
+matplotlib to IPython, and its use in matplotlib is deprecated.
+Change your import from 'matplotlib.sphinxext.ipython_directive' to
+'IPython.sphinxext.ipython_directive.""")
+
 # Our own
 try:
     from IPython import Config, InteractiveShell