diff --git a/macros.hpc b/macros.hpc
index 88c45b0..b115cae 100644
--- a/macros.hpc
+++ b/macros.hpc
@@ -172,8 +172,9 @@ EOF\
   %global tmp %__elf_exclude_path \
   %global  __elf_exclude_path (%tmp)|(^%hpc_base) \
   %undefine tmp \
-  %global tmp %__elflib_exclude_path \
-  %global  __elflib_exclude_path (%tmp)|(^%hpc_base) \
+  %{?__elflib_exclude_path: \
+          %global tmp %{__elflib_exclude_path}} \
+  %global  __elflib_exclude_path %{?tmp:(%{tmp})|}(^%hpc_base) \
   %undefine tmp \
   %{expand:%([ 0%{?sle_version} -ge 150000 -o 0%{?suse_version} -gt 1500 ] && echo %%global _hpc_python3 1)} \
   %global _hpc_init_done 1
diff --git a/suse-hpc.changes b/suse-hpc.changes
index 90bfc65..6e47ef7 100644
--- a/suse-hpc.changes
+++ b/suse-hpc.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Sat Oct 23 09:08:29 UTC 2021 - Egbert Eich <eich@suse.com>
+
+- Cope with the fact that RPM 4.17 no longer has
+  __elflib_exclude_path defined.
+  Thanks to Dominique Leuenberger <dimstar@opensuse.org> for
+  spotting this!
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Mon Mar 15 07:58:32 UTC 2021 - Egbert Eich <eich@suse.com>