diff --git a/host/cmake/debian/control.jammy b/host/cmake/debian/control.jammy
index 6a6e6ad58..43dd9a310 100644
--- a/host/cmake/debian/control.jammy
+++ b/host/cmake/debian/control.jammy
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Priority: optional
 Maintainer: Ettus Research <uhd.maintainer@emerson.com>
 Uploaders: Joerg Hofrichter <joerg.hofrichter@emerson.com>
 Build-Depends: cmake,
-               debhelper (>= 12),
+               debhelper-compat (= 12),
                libboost-dev,
                libboost-filesystem-dev,
                libboost-program-options-dev,
diff --git a/host/cmake/debian/control.noble b/host/cmake/debian/control.noble
index 6a6e6ad58..43dd9a310 100644
--- a/host/cmake/debian/control.noble
+++ b/host/cmake/debian/control.noble
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Priority: optional
 Maintainer: Ettus Research <uhd.maintainer@emerson.com>
 Uploaders: Joerg Hofrichter <joerg.hofrichter@emerson.com>
 Build-Depends: cmake,
-               debhelper (>= 12),
+               debhelper-compat (= 12),
                libboost-dev,
                libboost-filesystem-dev,
                libboost-program-options-dev,
diff --git a/tools/debs/upload_debs.sh b/tools/debs/upload_debs.sh
index 9e669729d..3ff5045f0 100755
--- a/tools/debs/upload_debs.sh
+++ b/tools/debs/upload_debs.sh
@@ -95,11 +95,6 @@ fi
 # create package info for each version. We need to store the original outside the
 # UHD repo, or dpkg-source will detect the change and error out.
 #
-cp -r host/cmake/debian .
-cp host/utils/uhd-usrp.rules debian/uhd-host.udev
-find host/docs -name '*.1' > debian/uhd-host.manpages
-rm -f debian/postinst.in debian/postrm.in debian/preinst.in debian/prerm.in
-
 if [ $FORCE_YES -ne 1 ]
 then
     echo "Proceed to generate package info? (yes/no)"
@@ -112,6 +107,16 @@ fi
 
 for RELEASE in ${RELEASES}
 do
+    rm -rf debian
+    cp -r ${UHD_TOP_LEVEL}/host/cmake/debian .
+    if [ -f debian/control.${RELEASE} ]
+    then
+        cp debian/control.${RELEASE} debian/control
+    fi
+    rm -f debian/control.*
+    cp host/utils/uhd-usrp.rules debian/uhd-host.udev
+    find host/docs -name '*.1' > debian/uhd-host.manpages
+    rm -f debian/postinst.in debian/postrm.in debian/preinst.in debian/prerm.in
     cp debian/changelog ../changelog.backup
     sed -i "s/${ORIG_RELEASE}/${RELEASE}/;s/0ubuntu1/0ubuntu1~${RELEASE}1/" debian/changelog
     debuild -S -i -sa