diff --git a/generate_rss.py b/generate_rss.py
index efeeb3c4d..b67c9b528 100755
--- a/generate_rss.py
+++ b/generate_rss.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import datetime
 import email.utils
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import docutils
 from docutils import frontend
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils import utils
@@ -19,6 +20,14 @@ def _format_rfc_2822(dt: datetime.datetime) -> str:
     return email.utils.format_datetime(dt, usegmt=True)
 
 
+# Monkeypatch nodes.Node.findall for forwards compatability
+if docutils.__version_info__ < (0, 18):
+    def findall(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        return iter(self.traverse(*args, **kwargs))
+
+    nodes.Node.findall = findall
+
+
 entry.formatRFC2822 = feed.formatRFC2822 = _format_rfc_2822
 line_cache: dict[Path, dict[str, str]] = {}
 
@@ -62,8 +71,7 @@ def parse_rst(text: str) -> nodes.document:
 def pep_abstract(full_path: Path) -> str:
     """Return the first paragraph of the PEP abstract"""
     text = full_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-    # TODO replace .traverse with .findall when Sphinx updates to docutils>=0.18.1
-    for node in parse_rst(text).traverse(nodes.section):
+    for node in parse_rst(text).findall(nodes.section):
         if node.next_node(nodes.title).astext() == "Abstract":
             return node.next_node(nodes.paragraph).astext().strip().replace("\n", " ")
     return ""
diff --git a/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/html/pep_html_builder.py b/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/html/pep_html_builder.py
index 5af7a49b8..4ab8b84ae 100644
--- a/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/html/pep_html_builder.py
+++ b/pep_sphinx_extensions/pep_processor/html/pep_html_builder.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class FileBuilder(StandaloneHTMLBuilder):
         toc_tree = self.env.tocs[docname].deepcopy()
         if len(toc_tree[0]) > 1:
             toc_tree = toc_tree[0][1]  # don't include document title
-            for node in toc_tree.traverse(nodes.reference):
+            for node in toc_tree.findall(nodes.reference):
                 node["refuri"] = node["anchorname"] or '#'  # fix targets
             toc = self.render_partial(toc_tree)["fragment"]
         else: