diff --git a/libreoffice.changes b/libreoffice.changes
index 318a3b7..76b5240 100644
--- a/libreoffice.changes
+++ b/libreoffice.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Dec 11 14:14:16 UTC 2024 - Martin Schreiner <martin.schreiner@suse.com>
+
+- Don't use system abseil-cpp on versions lower than Tumbleweed or SLE16.
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Thu Nov 14 13:17:22 UTC 2024 - Fridrich Strba <fstrba@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/libreoffice.spec b/libreoffice.spec
index 7056a66..0256b0e 100644
--- a/libreoffice.spec
+++ b/libreoffice.spec
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@
 %bcond_with firebird
 %endif
 
+# Disable system abseil-cpp on versions lower than TW / SLE16
+%if 0%{?suse_version} < 1600
+%bcond_with system_abseil_cpp
+%else
+%bcond_without system_abseil_cpp
+%endif
+
 # Use system gpgme and curl on TW and SLE15-SP4 or newer
 %if 0%{?suse_version} > 1500
 %bcond_without system_gpgme
@@ -165,9 +172,11 @@ BuildRequires:  fontforge
 BuildRequires:  frozen-devel
 BuildRequires:  glm-devel
 # Needed for tests
-BuildRequires:  google-carlito-fonts
+%if %{with system_abseil_cpp}
 BuildRequires:  abseil-cpp-devel
+%endif
 BuildRequires:  dragonbox-devel
+BuildRequires:  google-carlito-fonts
 BuildRequires:  gperf >= 3.1
 BuildRequires:  graphviz
 BuildRequires:  hyphen-devel
@@ -1246,6 +1255,11 @@ export NOCONFIGURE=yes
 %else
         --disable-firebird-sdbc \
 %endif
+%if %{with system_abseil_cpp}
+        --with-system-abseil \
+%else
+        --without-system-abseil \
+%endif
 %if 0%{?suse_version} < 1550
         --without-system-boost \
         --without-system-poppler \