diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 8bdff132c6..f8ca80c4d4 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -11,10 +11,9 @@ LINUX_PKGREL=1.1
 
 dnl Debian wants the release candidate version in the main upstream version,
 dnl and wants ~ before it.
+DEB_PKGVER=m4_esyscmd([build-tools/git-version .])
 if echo "$LINUX_PKGREL" | grep pre >/dev/null 2>/dev/null ; then
-    DEB_PKGVER="$LINUX_PKGVER"`echo "$LINUX_PKGREL" | sed 's/0.pre/~rc/'`
-else
-    DEB_PKGVER="$LINUX_PKGVER"
+    DEB_PKGVER="$DEB_PKGVER"`echo "$LINUX_PKGREL" | sed 's/0.pre/~rc/'`
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST(MACOS_VERSION)