diff -Nru pspp-1.2.0/debian/changelog pspp-1.2.0/debian/changelog
--- pspp-1.2.0/debian/changelog	2020-05-22 12:09:07.000000000 +0000
+++ pspp-1.2.0/debian/changelog	2020-05-24 13:02:21.000000000 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+pspp (1.2.0-5) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * set compiler optimization to -O2 for ppc64el
+    Closes: #942609
+
+ -- Friedrich Beckmann <friedrich.beckmann@gmx.de>  Sun, 24 May 2020 15:02:21 +0200
+
 pspp (1.2.0-4) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   [ Andreas Tille ]
diff -Nru pspp-1.2.0/debian/rules pspp-1.2.0/debian/rules
--- pspp-1.2.0/debian/rules	2020-05-22 12:09:07.000000000 +0000
+++ pspp-1.2.0/debian/rules	2020-05-24 13:02:21.000000000 +0000
@@ -25,6 +25,19 @@
 #CONFIGUREFLAGS =
 #endif
 
+# Ubuntu builds with -O3 which results in build failure
+# on ppc64el. See: #942609
+ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),ppc64el)
+  export DEB_CFLAGS_MAINT_APPEND += -O2
+  export DEB_CFLAGS_MAINT_STRIP += -O3
+endif
+
+# Lower optimization also for riscv
+ifeq ($(DEB_HOST_ARCH),riscv64)
+  export DEB_CFLAGS_MAINT_APPEND += -O2
+  export DEB_CFLAGS_MAINT_STRIP += -O3
+endif
+
 %:
 	dh $@ --with autoreconf,elpa