diff --git a/Jenkinsfile b/Jenkinsfile
index 8b2c027b15f..576657fbb4e 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/Jenkinsfile
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ pipeline {
                         }
                     }
                 } // stage('Functional on EL 9')
-                stage('Functional on Leap 15.5') {
+                stage('Functional on Leap 15.6') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
                         expression { !skipStage() }
@@ -988,7 +988,7 @@ pipeline {
                             job_status_update()
                         }
                     } // post
-                } // stage('Functional on Leap 15.5')
+                } // stage('Functional on Leap 15.6')
                 stage('Functional on Ubuntu 20.04') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
@@ -1062,7 +1062,7 @@ pipeline {
                             job_status_update()
                         }
                     }
-                } // stage('Fault inection testing on EL 8.8')
+                } // stage('Fault injection testing on EL 8.8')
                 stage('Test RPMs on EL 8.6') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
@@ -1082,8 +1082,8 @@ pipeline {
                             rpm_test_post(env.STAGE_NAME, env.NODELIST)
                         }
                     }
-                } // stage('Test CentOS 7 RPMs')
-                stage('Test RPMs on Leap 15.4') {
+                } // stage('Test RPMs on EL 8.6')
+                stage('Test RPMs on Leap 15.5') {
                     when {
                         beforeAgent true
                         expression { ! skipStage() }
@@ -1097,8 +1097,8 @@ pipeline {
                          * additionally for this use-case, can't override
                            ftest_arg with this :-(
                         script {
-                            'Test RPMs on Leap 15.4': getFunctionalTestStage(
-                                name: 'Test RPMs on Leap 15.4',
+                            'Test RPMs on Leap 15.5': getFunctionalTestStage(
+                                name: 'Test RPMs on Leap 15.5',
                                 pragma_suffix: '',
                                 label: params.CI_UNIT_VM1_LABEL,
                                 next_version: next_version,
@@ -1134,7 +1134,7 @@ pipeline {
                             rpm_test_post(env.STAGE_NAME, env.NODELIST)
                         }
                     }
-                } // stage('Test Leap 15 RPMs')
+                } // stage('Test RPMs on Leap 15.5')
             } // parallel
         } // stage('Test')
         stage('Test Storage Prep on EL 8.8') {
diff --git a/ci/parse_ci_envs.sh b/ci/parse_ci_envs.sh
index b45e58e439d..84cb0183f91 100755
--- a/ci/parse_ci_envs.sh
+++ b/ci/parse_ci_envs.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ if [ -n "${STAGE_NAME:?}" ]; then
       : "${TARGET:=centos9}"
       : "${REPO_SPEC:=el-9}"
       ;;
+    *Leap\ 15.6*|*leap15.6*|*opensuse15.6*|*sles15.6*)
+      : "${CHROOT_NAME:=opensuse-leap-15.5-x86_64}"
+      : "${TARGET:=leap15.6}"
+      ;;
     *Leap\ 15.5*|*leap15.5*|*opensuse15.5*|*sles15.5*)
       : "${CHROOT_NAME:=opensuse-leap-15.5-x86_64}"
       : "${TARGET:=leap15.5}"
diff --git a/utils/rpms/daos.rpmlintrc b/utils/rpms/daos.rpmlintrc
index bbf0f9e2b92..2a87b5030e8 100644
--- a/utils/rpms/daos.rpmlintrc
+++ b/utils/rpms/daos.rpmlintrc
@@ -51,6 +51,6 @@ addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: devel-dependency protobuf-c-devel")
 
 # a functional test builds daos from source, so it needs the various *-devel packages for daos' build dependencies.
 addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: devel-dependency capstone-devel")
-addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: explicit-lib-dependency lib(capstone|ndctl)-devel")
+addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: explicit-lib-dependency lib(capstone|ndctl|protobuf-c)-devel")
 addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: devel-dependency libcapstone-devel")
 addFilter("daos-client-tests\.x86_64: E: devel-dependency fuse3-devel")
diff --git a/utils/rpms/daos.spec b/utils/rpms/daos.spec
index f9442c89f43..eb77beb3266 100644
--- a/utils/rpms/daos.spec
+++ b/utils/rpms/daos.spec
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 Name:          daos
 Version:       2.6.2
-Release:       4%{?relval}%{?dist}
+Release:       5%{?relval}%{?dist}
 Summary:       DAOS Storage Engine
 
 License:       BSD-2-Clause-Patent
@@ -203,7 +203,11 @@ Summary: The DAOS test suite
 Requires: %{name}-client%{?_isa} = %{version}-%{release}
 Requires: %{name}-admin%{?_isa} = %{version}-%{release}
 Requires: %{name}-devel%{?_isa} = %{version}-%{release}
+%if (0%{?suse_version} >= 1500)
+Requires: libprotobuf-c-devel
+%else
 Requires: protobuf-c-devel
+%endif
 Requires: fio
 Requires: git
 Requires: dbench
@@ -590,6 +594,9 @@ getent passwd daos_agent >/dev/null || useradd -s /sbin/nologin -r -g daos_agent
 # No files in a shim package
 
 %changelog
+* Fri Dec 20 2024 Phillip Henderson <phillip.henderson@intel.com> 2.6.2-5
+- Fix protobuf-c requiremnent for daos-client-tests on Leap.
+
 * Mon Dec 16 2024 Brian J. Murrell <brian.murrell@intel.com> - 2.6.2-4
 - Drop BRs for UCX as they were obsoleted as of e01970d
 
diff --git a/utils/rpms/packaging/Makefile_distro_vars.mk b/utils/rpms/packaging/Makefile_distro_vars.mk
index 4e8a09dca7b..79ae211e895 100644
--- a/utils/rpms/packaging/Makefile_distro_vars.mk
+++ b/utils/rpms/packaging/Makefile_distro_vars.mk
@@ -91,6 +91,14 @@ DISTRO_VERSION  ?= $(VERSION_ID)
 ORIG_TARGET_VER := 15.5
 SED_EXPR        := 1p
 endif
+ifeq ($(CHROOT_NAME),opensuse-leap-15.6-x86_64)
+VERSION_ID      := 15.6
+DISTRO_ID       := sl15.6
+DISTRO_BASE     := LEAP_15
+DISTRO_VERSION  ?= $(VERSION_ID)
+ORIG_TARGET_VER := 15.6
+SED_EXPR        := 1p
+endif
 endif
 ifeq ($(ID),centos)
 ID = el
diff --git a/utils/scripts/helpers/repo-helper-leap15.sh b/utils/scripts/helpers/repo-helper-leap15.sh
index 8dea6bf2ecd..1a772435f3b 100755
--- a/utils/scripts/helpers/repo-helper-leap15.sh
+++ b/utils/scripts/helpers/repo-helper-leap15.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ set -uex
 # for custom packages if present.
 
 : "${REPO_FILE_URL:=}"
-: "${BASE_DISTRO:=opensuse/leap:15.5}"
+: "${BASE_DISTRO:=opensuse/leap:15.6}"
 : "${JENKINS_URL:=}"
 : "${REPOS:=}"