diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b0ad19e9148..24f646cc8e4 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ bin-dist:		all
 
 # Remove BK's "SCCS" subdirectories from source distribution
 # Create initial database files for Windows installations.
-# Create default debian control file for debian packaging needs
 dist-hook:
 	rm -rf `find $(distdir) -type d -name SCCS -print`
 	rm -f  `find $(distdir) -type l -print`
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ dist-hook:
 		--basedir=$(top_builddir) \
 		--datadir=$(distdir)/win/data \
 		--srcdir=$(top_srcdir)
-	debian/rules control-file && cp $(top_builddir)/debian/control $(distdir)/debian/control
 
 tags:
 	support-files/build-tags
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index dd107a0e916..e947f7694e9 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2552,7 +2552,7 @@ AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile extra/Makefile mysys/Makefile dnl
  tests/Makefile Docs/Makefile support-files/Makefile dnl
  support-files/MacOSX/Makefile support-files/RHEL4-SElinux/Makefile dnl
  mysql-test/Makefile dnl
- debian/Makefile debian/defs.mk dnl
+ debian/Makefile debian/defs.mk debian/control dnl
  mysql-test/ndb/Makefile netware/Makefile sql-bench/Makefile dnl
  include/mysql_version.h plugin/Makefile win/Makefile)
 
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 03f85f18160..7b83bc4b97c 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ ifeq ("x$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)","x")
 endif
 
 ifneq ("x$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)","x")
-  export MYSQL_BASE_VERSION=$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)-$(MYSQL_BASE_VERSION)
-  export MYSQL_PREVIOUS_BASE_VERSION=$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)-$(MYSQL_PREVIOUS_BASE_VERSION)
+  MYSQL_BASE_VERSION:=$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)-$(MYSQL_BASE_VERSION)
+  MYSQL_PREVIOUS_BASE_VERSION:=$(MYSQL_FLAVOR)-$(MYSQL_PREVIOUS_BASE_VERSION)
 endif
 
 PACKAGE=mysql-$(MYSQL_BASE_VERSION)
@@ -210,8 +210,10 @@ clean: configure.in Makefile.am control-file
 	rm -f build-stamp
 
 	cp debian/defs.mk debian/defs.mk.sav
+	cp debian/control debian/control.sav
 	-make distclean
-	cp debian/defs.mk.sav debian/defs.mk
+	mv debian/defs.mk.sav debian/defs.mk
+	mv debian/control.sav debian/control
 
 	debconf-updatepo