diff --git a/python-stestr.changes b/python-stestr.changes
index 19ff984..baf48c6 100644
--- a/python-stestr.changes
+++ b/python-stestr.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Oct 30 13:17:37 UTC 2019 - Dirk Mueller <dmueller@suse.com>
+
+- fix build for anything older than Tumbleweed by explicitly setting
+  utf8 locale
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue Sep 10 09:51:35 UTC 2019 - Tomáš Chvátal <tchvatal@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/python-stestr.spec b/python-stestr.spec
index 557afc0..a21c89d 100644
--- a/python-stestr.spec
+++ b/python-stestr.spec
@@ -78,14 +78,17 @@ and has examples.
 rm stestr/tests/repository/test_sql.py
 
 %build
+export LC_ALL="en_US.UTF8"
 %python_build
 
 %install
+export LC_ALL="en_US.UTF8"
 %python_install
 %python_clone -a %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/stestr
 %python_expand %fdupes %{buildroot}%{$python_sitelib}
 
 %check
+export LC_ALL="en_US.UTF8"
 # test_empty_with_pretty_out - edge case not triggered in OBS
 %{python_expand mkdir build/bin
 for filepath in %{buildroot}/%{_bindir}/stestr*-%{$python_bin_suffix}; do