diff --git a/python-matplotlib.changes b/python-matplotlib.changes
index 33658ff..609211e 100644
--- a/python-matplotlib.changes
+++ b/python-matplotlib.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Sat Jun  2 10:48:56 UTC 2018 - hpj@urpla.net
+
+- don't use any lua expressions for suse_version < 1500
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Fri Jun  1 19:45:45 UTC 2018 - dimstar@opensuse.org
 
diff --git a/python-matplotlib.spec b/python-matplotlib.spec
index 762645c..7543d05 100644
--- a/python-matplotlib.spec
+++ b/python-matplotlib.spec
@@ -111,7 +111,11 @@ Recommends:     ghostscript
 Recommends:     libxml2-tools
 Recommends:     python-Pillow
 Recommends:     poppler-tools
+%if 0%{?suse_version} >= 1500
 Recommends:     (python-matplotlib-tk if tk)
+%else
+Recommends:     python-matplotlib-tk
+%endif
 Provides:       python-matplotlib-gtk = %{version}
 Obsoletes:      python-matplotlib-gtk < %{version}
 %ifpython2