diff --git a/scorep.spec b/scorep.spec
index bd0e48f..d1345d2 100644
--- a/scorep.spec
+++ b/scorep.spec
@@ -42,8 +42,12 @@ Requires:       papi-devel%{?_isa}
 %endif
 %endif
 
-# el7 has both 1.10 and 3.0
+# el7 has both 1.10 and 3.0, except on ppc64
+%ifarch ppc64
+%global with_openmpi3 0
+%else
 %global with_openmpi3 0%{?el7}
+%endif
 
 %if %{with_mpich}
 %global mpi_list mpich