diff --git a/debian/CMakeLists.txt b/debian/CMakeLists.txt
index 2ae2226ac..3e4d24967 100644
--- a/debian/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/debian/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ execute_process(COMMAND date "+%a, %-d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z"
                 OUTPUT_VARIABLE DEB_DATE OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
 
 set(DEB_DIST "unstable" CACHE STRING "Distribution to set in the .deb changelog")
+set(DEB_REWRITE_RULES ON CACHE BOOL "Rewrite the debian rules file from rules.in")
 
 configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/changelog.in
                ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/changelog)
 
-configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/rules.in
-               ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/rules @ONLY)
-file(COPY        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/rules
-     DESTINATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/
-     FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_EXECUTE OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ
-                      GROUP_EXECUTE GROUP_READ)
+if(DEB_REWRITE_RULES)
+  configure_file(  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/rules.in
+                   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/rules @ONLY)
+  file(REMOVE      ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/rules)
+  file(COPY        ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/rules
+       DESTINATION ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/
+       FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_EXECUTE OWNER_WRITE OWNER_READ
+                        GROUP_EXECUTE GROUP_READ)
+endif(DEB_REWRITE_RULES)
diff --git a/debian/rules.in b/debian/rules.in
index 79ffc6087..b5cd59ed6 100755
--- a/debian/rules.in
+++ b/debian/rules.in
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ configure-stamp:
 	cd bin && cmake .. \
 	  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(CURDIR)/debian/clementine/usr \
 	  -DBUNDLE_PROJECTM_PRESETS=OFF \
-	  -DBUILDBOT_REVISION=@BUILDBOT_REVISION@
+	  -DBUILDBOT_REVISION=@BUILDBOT_REVISION@ \
+	  -DDEB_DIST=@DEB_DIST@ \
+	  -DDEB_REWRITE_RULES=OFF
 	touch configure-stamp
 
 build: build-stamp