diff --git a/gtk-doc.spec b/gtk-doc.spec
index c2ef5aa..d2a475c 100644
--- a/gtk-doc.spec
+++ b/gtk-doc.spec
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ BuildRequires: docbook-utils
 BuildRequires: jade
 BuildRequires: /usr/bin/xsltproc
 BuildRequires: docbook-style-xsl
+%if 0%{?fedora}
 BuildRequires: perl-generators
+%endif
 BuildRequires: perl-Test-Simple
 BuildRequires: python2-devel
 BuildRequires: gnome-doc-utils
@@ -40,6 +42,12 @@ and GNOME.
 %prep
 %setup -q
 
+%if 0%{?rhel} == 7
+# Lower unnecessarily high perl requirement
+# https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=773151
+sed -i -e 's/require v5\.18\.0/require v5.16.0/' configure
+%endif
+
 # Move this doc file to avoid name collisions
 mv doc/README doc/README.docs