diff --git a/scripts/package/builddeb b/scripts/package/builddeb
index 5eecbbe5811..5868c0f2e61 100644
--- a/scripts/package/builddeb
+++ b/scripts/package/builddeb
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ create_package() {
 # Some variables and settings used throughout the script
 version=$KERNELRELEASE
 revision=$(cat .version)
+if [ -n "$KDEB_PKGVERSION" ]; then
+	packageversion=$KDEB_PKGVERSION
+else
+	packageversion=$version-$revision
+fi
 tmpdir="$objtree/debian/tmp"
 fwdir="$objtree/debian/fwtmp"
 packagename=linux-$version
@@ -87,7 +92,7 @@ done
 name="Kernel Compiler <$(id -nu)@$(hostname -f)>"
 # Generate a simple changelog template
 cat <<EOF > debian/changelog
-linux ($version-$revision) unstable; urgency=low
+linux ($packageversion) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * A standard release