diff --git a/gsl.changes b/gsl.changes
index 5fa336d..fe5bf3f 100644
--- a/gsl.changes
+++ b/gsl.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Tue Oct  8 09:14:06 UTC 2024 - Bernhard Wiedemann <bwiedemann@suse.com>
+
+- Ensure that %check do not modify build results (boo#1227364)
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue Jun 11 05:03:47 UTC 2024 - Atri Bhattacharya <badshah400@gmail.com>
 
diff --git a/gsl.spec b/gsl.spec
index 217acd0..88519ea 100644
--- a/gsl.spec
+++ b/gsl.spec
@@ -282,18 +282,6 @@ export CFLAGS="%{optflags}"
 	--with-gnu-ld
 make %{?_smp_mflags}
 
-%check
-# On i586 this still fails
-%ifarch %{ix86}
-make %{?_smp_mflags} check || ( find -name \*.log -print -exec cat {} \; ; exit 0 )
-%else
-make %{?_smp_mflags} check || ( find -name \*.log -print -exec cat {} \; ; exit 1 )
-%endif
-# Clean up to package directory
-make -C doc/examples clean
-chmod a-x doc/examples/*
-rm doc/examples/Makefile*
-
 %install
 %{?with_hpc:%hpc_setup}
 
@@ -348,6 +336,23 @@ family "%pname"
 EOF
 %endif
 
+# create a copy for testing without dirtying the installed files
+cp -a `pwd` ../test.tmp
+# Clean up to package directory
+make -C doc/examples clean
+rm doc/examples/Makefile*
+chmod a-x doc/examples/*
+
+%check
+cd ../test.tmp
+# On i586 this still fails
+%ifarch %{ix86}
+make %{?_smp_mflags} check || ( find -name \*.log -print -exec cat {} \; ; exit 0 )
+%else
+make %{?_smp_mflags} check || ( find -name \*.log -print -exec cat {} \; ; exit 1 )
+%endif
+cd .. ; rm -rf test.tmp
+
 %if %{without hpc}
 %post   -n %{libname} -p /sbin/ldconfig
 %postun -n %{libname} -p /sbin/ldconfig