diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
index 36f2e1e5d6f..52bc208c2c5 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/mkdocs.py
@@ -10,10 +10,8 @@
 import yaml
 from django.conf import settings
 
-from readthedocs.core.utils.filesystem import safe_open
 from readthedocs.doc_builder.base import BaseBuilder
-from readthedocs.projects.constants import MKDOCS
-from readthedocs.projects.constants import MKDOCS_HTML
+from readthedocs.projects.exceptions import UserFileNotFound
 
 
 log = structlog.get_logger(__name__)
@@ -44,46 +42,25 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
         # This is the *MkDocs* yaml file
-        self.yaml_file = self.get_yaml_config()
-
-    def get_final_doctype(self):
-        """
-        Select a doctype based on the ``use_directory_urls`` setting.
-
-        https://www.mkdocs.org/user-guide/configuration/#use_directory_urls
-        """
-
-        # TODO: we should eventually remove this method completely and stop
-        # relying on "loading the `mkdocs.yml` file in a safe way just to know
-        # if it's a MKDOCS or MKDOCS_HTML documentation type".
-
-        # Allow symlinks, but only the ones that resolve inside the base directory.
-        with safe_open(
-            self.yaml_file,
-            "r",
-            allow_symlinks=True,
-            base_path=self.project_path,
-        ) as fh:
-            config = yaml_load_safely(fh)
-            use_directory_urls = config.get("use_directory_urls", True)
-            return MKDOCS if use_directory_urls else MKDOCS_HTML
-
-    def get_yaml_config(self):
-        """Find the ``mkdocs.yml`` file in the project root."""
-        mkdocs_path = self.config.mkdocs.configuration
-        if not mkdocs_path:
-            mkdocs_path = "mkdocs.yml"
-        return os.path.join(
+        self.config_file = os.path.join(
             self.project_path,
-            mkdocs_path,
+            self.config.mkdocs.configuration,
         )
 
     def show_conf(self):
         """Show the current ``mkdocs.yaml`` being used."""
+        if not os.path.exists(self.config_file):
+            raise UserFileNotFound(
+                message_id=UserFileNotFound.FILE_NOT_FOUND,
+                format_values={
+                    "filename": os.path.relpath(self.config_file, self.project_path),
+                },
+            )
+
         # Write the mkdocs.yml to the build logs
         self.run(
             "cat",
-            os.path.relpath(self.yaml_file, self.project_path),
+            os.path.relpath(self.config_file, self.project_path),
             cwd=self.project_path,
         )
 
@@ -97,8 +74,9 @@ def build(self):
             "--site-dir",
             os.path.join("$READTHEDOCS_OUTPUT", "html"),
             "--config-file",
-            os.path.relpath(self.yaml_file, self.project_path),
+            os.path.relpath(self.config_file, self.project_path),
         ]
+
         if self.config.mkdocs.fail_on_warning:
             build_command.append("--strict")
         cmd_ret = self.run(
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/notifications.py b/readthedocs/projects/notifications.py
index 9b9e5d43e7a..2e4fc616ac8 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/notifications.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/notifications.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
     ),
     Message(
         id=RepositoryError.UNSUPPORTED_VCS,
-        header=_("Repository type not suported"),
+        header=_("Repository type not supported"),
         body=_(
             textwrap.dedent(
                 """
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
index 51177f88868..89bab7cf4df 100644
--- a/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/tests/test_build_tasks.py
@@ -302,6 +302,14 @@ def test_build_updates_documentation_type(self, load_yaml_config):
             )
         ).touch()
 
+        # Create "mkdocs.yml" for the "cat" command to find it
+        pathlib.Path(
+            os.path.join(
+                self.project.checkout_path(self.version.slug),
+                "mkdocs.yml",
+            )
+        ).touch()
+
         self._trigger_update_docs_task()
 
         # Update version state
@@ -1413,7 +1421,7 @@ def test_build_commands_executed_with_clone_token(
         os.makedirs(self.project.artifact_path(version=self.version.slug, type_="epub"))
         os.makedirs(self.project.artifact_path(version=self.version.slug, type_="pdf"))
 
-        get_clone_token.return_value = "toke:1234"
+        get_clone_token.return_value = "token:1234"
         github_app_installation = get(
             GitHubAppInstallation,
             installation_id=1234,
@@ -2626,6 +2634,16 @@ def test_mkdocs_fail_on_warning(self, load_yaml_config):
             validate=True,
         )
 
+        # Create "mkdocs.yaml" for the "cat" command to find it
+        os.makedirs(os.path.join(self.project.checkout_path(version=self.version.slug), "docs"))
+        pathlib.Path(
+            os.path.join(
+                self.project.checkout_path(self.version.slug),
+                "docs",
+                "mkdocs.yaml",
+            )
+        ).touch()
+
         self._trigger_update_docs_task()
 
         self.mocker.mocks["environment.run"].assert_has_calls(