diff --git a/rhn-client-tools.spec b/rhn-client-tools.spec
index 63b63b8c2b..4ed3582d6a 100644
--- a/rhn-client-tools.spec
+++ b/rhn-client-tools.spec
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Source0: https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk/archive/%{name}-%{version
 URL:     https://github.com/spacewalkproject/spacewalk
 Name: rhn-client-tools
 Version: 2.0.2
-Release: 21%{?dist}
+Release: 22%{?dist}
 BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-%{release}-root-%(%{__id_u} -n)
 BuildArch: noarch
 %if 0%{?suse_version}
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ Requires: newt
 %if 0%{?fedora} || 0%{?rhel} > 5
 Requires: newt-python
 %endif
+%if %{_arch} != s390x && %{_arch} != s390
 Requires: python-dmidecode
+%endif
 %if 0%{?suse_version}
 Requires: zypper
 %else
@@ -361,6 +363,10 @@ make -f Makefile.rhn-client-tools test
 %endif
 
 %changelog
+* Thu Aug 16 2018 Tomas Kasparek <tkasparek@redhat.com> 2.0.2-22
+- Resolves: #1617942 - drop dmidecode dependency on s390x
+  (tkasparek@redhat.com)
+
 * Fri Dec 08 2017 Tomas Kasparek <tkasparek@redhat.com> 2.0.2-21
 - Resolves: #1430298 - fix warning: numeric expression expected (got ")
   (pstudeni@redhat.com)
diff --git a/src/up2date_client/hardware.py b/src/up2date_client/hardware.py
index 69a96704f3..a20ac48efd 100644
--- a/src/up2date_client/hardware.py
+++ b/src/up2date_client/hardware.py
@@ -30,12 +30,18 @@ except ImportError:
     sys.stderr.write("Warning: information about network interfaces could not be retrieved on this platform.\n")
     ethtool_present = False
 
+try:
+    import dmidecode
+    dmidecode_present = True
+except ImportError:
+    sys.stderr.write("Warning: DMI information could not be retrieved on this platform.\n")
+    dmidecode_present = False
+
 import gettext
 t = gettext.translation('rhn-client-tools', fallback=True)
 _ = t.ugettext
 
 import dbus
-import dmidecode
 import up2dateLog
 
 try: # F13 and EL6
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ except ImportError:
 
 # this does not change, we can cache it
 _dmi_data           = None
-_dmi_not_available  = 0
+_dmi_not_available  = 0 if dmidecode_present else 1
 
 def dmi_warnings():
     if not hasattr(dmidecode, 'get_warnings'):