diff --git a/python-pycurl.changes b/python-pycurl.changes
index fd96203..3f5471b 100644
--- a/python-pycurl.changes
+++ b/python-pycurl.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Feb  6 15:24:44 UTC 2019 - alarrosa@suse.com
+
+- Set LANG to en_US.UTF8 to fix the tests
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Wed Dec 19 14:18:26 CET 2018 - mcepl@suse.com
 
diff --git a/python-pycurl.spec b/python-pycurl.spec
index 3de63fd..84d4dcc 100644
--- a/python-pycurl.spec
+++ b/python-pycurl.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package python-pycurl
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2018 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
+# Copyright (c) 2019 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ $python -O -m compileall -d %{$python_sitearch} %{buildroot}%{$python_sitearch}
 
 %check
 %if %{with test}
+export LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 export PYCURL_SSL_LIBRARY=openssl
 # taken from "make test" because we only need to run nosetests,
 # not the rest of the mess in the upstream runner