diff --git a/python-postorius.changes b/python-postorius.changes
index d61830c..80627a1 100644
--- a/python-postorius.changes
+++ b/python-postorius.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Mon Nov  6 11:47:26 UTC 2023 - Marcus Rueckert <mrueckert@suse.de>
+
+- make it easy to run a build without testsuite
+  osc build --without=testsuite
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Mon Nov  6 00:11:33 UTC 2023 - Marcus Rueckert <mrueckert@suse.de>
 
diff --git a/python-postorius.spec b/python-postorius.spec
index a4404a2..5ead8d5 100644
--- a/python-postorius.spec
+++ b/python-postorius.spec
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 # Please submit bugfixes or comments via https://bugs.opensuse.org/
 #
 
+%bcond_without testsuite
+
 # keep in sync with setup.py
 %global django_mailman3_min_version 1.3.10
 %global django_min_version 3.2
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@
 %global postorius_logdir    %{_localstatedir}/log/postorius
 %global postorius_datadir   %{postorius_libdir}/data
 
+# keep in sync with python-HyperKitty/python-mailman-web
 %if 0%{?suse_version} >= 1550
 # Newest python supported by mailman is Python 3.11
 %define pythons python311
@@ -206,6 +209,7 @@ install -m 0750 %{SOURCE10} %{buildroot}%{_sbindir}/postorius-manage
 install -d -m 0755 %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/uwsgi/vassals
 install -m 0644 %{SOURCE12} %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/uwsgi/vassals/postorius.ini
 
+%if %{with testsuite}
 %check
 export PYTHONPATH="$(pwd):$(pwd)/src"
 export LANG=C.UTF-8
@@ -213,6 +217,7 @@ export LANG=C.UTF-8
 # clean flavored alternatives created by test setup, because we are going to install the example_project as docs
 rm -rf build/flavorbin
 rm -rf build/xdgflavorconfig
+%endif
 
 %pre -n %{postorius_pkgname}-web
 /usr/sbin/groupadd -r postorius &>/dev/null || :