diff --git a/python-lxml.changes b/python-lxml.changes
index f259469..fe20daf 100644
--- a/python-lxml.changes
+++ b/python-lxml.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Thu Feb 16 20:17:22 UTC 2023 - Dirk Müller <dmueller@suse.com>
+
+- allow building against any libxml2 version in sle15 
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Fri Jan 20 16:00:15 UTC 2023 - Matej Cepl <mcepl@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/python-lxml.spec b/python-lxml.spec
index 950d21a..852cf35 100644
--- a/python-lxml.spec
+++ b/python-lxml.spec
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ BuildRequires:  %{python_module base}
 BuildRequires:  %{python_module cssselect >= 0.9.1}
 BuildRequires:  %{python_module setuptools >= 18.0.1}
 BuildRequires:  fdupes
+%if 0%{?suse_version} == 1500
+# Assume the best that the old libxml2 in SLE15 is patched for  https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/issues/378 (CVE-2022-2309)
+BuildRequires:  libxml2-devel
+%else
 BuildRequires:  libxml2-devel >= 2.10.2
+%endif
 BuildRequires:  libxslt-devel >= 1.1.27
 BuildRequires:  python-rpm-macros
 Requires:       python-cssselect >= 0.9.1