diff --git a/gawk.changes b/gawk.changes
index 5526afb..9d87cc3 100644
--- a/gawk.changes
+++ b/gawk.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Thu Feb  4 10:41:36 UTC 2021 - Ludwig Nussel <lnussel@suse.de>
+
+- fix update-alternatives usage. Needs to be in %postun according to
+  https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Packaging_Multiple_Version_guidelines#update-alternatives_mechanism
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Mon Dec 14 16:06:16 UTC 2020 - Ludwig Nussel <lnussel@suse.de>
 
diff --git a/gawk.spec b/gawk.spec
index c490b06..0ff4d18 100644
--- a/gawk.spec
+++ b/gawk.spec
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ ln -s %{_sysconfdir}/alternatives/awk.1%{?ext_man} %{buildroot}%{_mandir}/man1/a
   --slave %{_mandir}/man1/awk.1.gz awk.1%{?ext_man} %{_mandir}/man1/gawk.1%{?ext_man}
 %endif
 
-%preun
-if [ $1 -eq 0 ]; then
+%postun
+if [ ! -f %{_bindir}/gawk ]; then
     %{_sbindir}/update-alternatives --remove awk %{_bindir}/gawk
 fi