diff --git a/bluez.changes b/bluez.changes
index a0a31f1..465c7a2 100644
--- a/bluez.changes
+++ b/bluez.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fri Mar  3 09:16:29 UTC 2017 - seife+obs@b1-systems.com
+
+- make testsuite run non-parallel (obs seems to have problems with
+  parallel checks) and quiet
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Wed Mar  1 21:22:42 UTC 2017 - seife+obs@b1-systems.com
 
diff --git a/bluez.spec b/bluez.spec
index e47b7a6..7856ee9 100644
--- a/bluez.spec
+++ b/bluez.spec
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ chmod 0644 *.py *.xml *.dtd
 
 %check
 %if ! 0%{?qemu_user_space_build}
-make %{?_smp_mflags} check
+##make %%{?_smp_mflags} check
+# deliberately not running parallel, as OBS seems to create spurious failures otherwise
+make check V=0
 %endif
 
 %pre