diff --git a/Alien/Package/Deb.pm b/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
index bf09058..57b9849 100644
--- a/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
+++ b/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
@@ -596,6 +596,8 @@ sub version {
 	# get
 	return unless defined wantarray; # optimization
 	$_=$this->{version};
+	# filter out some characters not allowed in debian versions
+	s/[^-.+~:A-Za-z0-9]//g; # see lib/dpkg/parsehelp.c parseversion
 	# Make sure the version contains digets.
 	unless (/[0-9]/) {
 		# Drat. Well, add some. dpkg-deb won't work
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 3e0e928..6bc0a52 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+alien (8.86) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
+
+  * Filter out illegal characters in version number when building a deb.
+    Closes: #648531
+
+ -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:08:40 -0400
+
 alien (8.85) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * Avoid breaking on spaces in filenames. Closes: #618636