diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index edad166..1ab10de 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+alien (8.72) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
+
+  * Use debhelper 7, rules file minimisation.
+
+ -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:00:59 -0400
+
 alien (8.71) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * Deal with rpms that relocate ie, /usr into /usr/local, and don't
diff --git a/debian/compat b/debian/compat
index b8626c4..7f8f011 100644
--- a/debian/compat
+++ b/debian/compat
@@ -1 +1 @@
-4
+7
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 54e1e82..8a9d571 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Source: alien
 Section: admin
 Priority: optional
-Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 4)
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7)
 Maintainer: Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>
 Standards-Version: 3.7.3
 Vcs-Git: git://git.kitenet.net/alien
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 9f49711..4f40594 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -1,47 +1,21 @@
 #!/usr/bin/make -f
+%:
+	dh $@
 
-build: build-stamp
-build-stamp:
-	dh_testdir
-	perl Makefile.PL
-	$(MAKE)
+build:
+	dh build
 	# simple smoke test
 	./alien.pl -V
-	touch build-stamp
-
-clean:
-	dh_testdir
-	dh_testroot
-	rm -f build-stamp
-	perl Makefile.PL
-	if [ -e Makefile ]; then $(MAKE) realclean; fi
-	dh_clean
-
-binary-arch: build
 
 binary-indep: build
-	dh_testdir
-	dh_testroot
-	dh_clean -k
+	dh install --before dh_auto_install
 	$(MAKE) pure_install INSTALLDIRS=vendor \
 		PREFIX=$(shell pwd)/debian/alien/$(shell perl -MConfig -e 'print $$Config{prefix}') \
 		VARPREFIX=$(shell pwd)/debian/alien
-	# Why does it make this empty directory? Sigh.
-	rm -rf debian/alien/usr/lib
-	dh_installdocs README gendiff.txt
-	dh_installexamples
-	dh_installchangelogs
-	dh_compress
-	dh_fixperms
-	dh_perl
-	dh_installdeb
-	dh_gencontrol
-	dh_md5sums
-	dh_builddeb
+	dh install --after dh_auto_install
 
 # Not intended for use by anyone except the author.
 announcedir:
 	@echo ${HOME}/src/joeywiki/code/alien/news
 
 binary: binary-indep binary-arch
-.PHONY: build clean binary-indep binary-arch binary