diff --git a/python-sphinx.spec b/python-sphinx.spec
index d508614..722d861 100644
--- a/python-sphinx.spec
+++ b/python-sphinx.spec
@@ -262,6 +262,16 @@ This package contains documentation in the HTML format.
 %prep
 %autosetup -n sphinx-%{upstream_version} -p1
 
+# Drop test-dependency on defusedxml,
+# use xml from the standard library instead.
+# defusedxml is safer but this is only used in tests.
+# Upstream uses defusedxml to be "safer for future contributors when they
+# create/open branches and pull requests" -- that does not concern us.
+# https://github.com/sphinx-doc/sphinx/pull/12168#discussion_r1535383868
+# We want to avoid the dependency in RHEL, but no harm in doing so unconditionally.
+sed -i '/"defusedxml/d' pyproject.toml
+sed -i 's/from defusedxml./from xml.etree./' sphinx/testing/util.py tests/test_theming/test_theming.py
+
 %if %{without imagemagick_tests}
 rm tests/test_extensions/test_ext_imgconverter.py
 %endif