diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 6be2276..539b284 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+alien (8.75) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
+
+  * Simplified rules file.
+
+ -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:18:52 -0500
+
 alien (8.74) unstable; urgency=low
 
   * Support bzipped and uncompressed tar files, using tar's auto-compression
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 325ea1b..3d18efc 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Source: alien
 Section: admin
 Priority: optional
-Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7)
+Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7.0.50)
 Maintainer: Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>
 Standards-Version: 3.8.0
 Vcs-Git: git://git.kitenet.net/alien
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 4f40594..ccf07d0 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -2,20 +2,19 @@
 %:
 	dh $@
 
-build:
-	dh build
+override_dh_auto_test:
 	# simple smoke test
 	./alien.pl -V
 
-binary-indep: build
-	dh install --before dh_auto_install
+override_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
-	dh install --after dh_auto_install
+
+override_dh_auto_clean:
+	# distclean moans about MANIFEST, this is quieter
+	if [ -e Makefile ]; then $(MAKE) realclean; fi
 
 # Not intended for use by anyone except the author.
 announcedir:
 	@echo ${HOME}/src/joeywiki/code/alien/news
-
-binary: binary-indep binary-arch