diff --git a/python-pylibmc.changes b/python-pylibmc.changes
index f11c90e..859f6fd 100644
--- a/python-pylibmc.changes
+++ b/python-pylibmc.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fri Nov 18 14:59:02 UTC 2022 - Dominique Leuenberger <dimstar@opensuse.org>
+
+- Cope with memcached moving from sbindir to bindir and safeguard
+  against non-existing memcached binary: it if can't be started,
+  there is no reason to even attempt to run the test suite.
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Fri Dec 10 03:36:04 UTC 2021 - Steve Kowalik <steven.kowalik@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/python-pylibmc.spec b/python-pylibmc.spec
index 2e2fdbd..c466589 100644
--- a/python-pylibmc.spec
+++ b/python-pylibmc.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package python-pylibmc
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2021 SUSE LLC
+# Copyright (c) 2022 SUSE LLC
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -58,7 +58,14 @@ export CFLAGS="%{optflags}"
 %python_expand %fdupes %{buildroot}%{$python_sitearch}
 
 %check
-%{_sbindir}/memcached &
+if [ -f %{_sbindir}/memcached ]; then
+  %{_sbindir}/memcached &
+elif [ -f %{_bindir}/memcached ]; then
+  %{_bindir}/memcached &
+else
+  echo "Failed to start memcached - tests can't pass"
+  exit 1
+fi
 pid=$!
 %pytest_arch -k 'not testBigGetMulti'
 kill $pid