diff --git a/Alien/Package/Deb.pm b/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
index 6d1ad99..7752e05 100644
--- a/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
+++ b/Alien/Package/Deb.pm
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ sub prep {
 	print OUT $this->name." (".$this->version."-".$this->release.") experimental; urgency=low\n";
 	print OUT "\n";
 	print OUT "  * Converted from .".$this->origformat." format to .deb\n";
+	print OUT "    by alien version $Alien::Version\n";
 	print OUT "\n";
 	print OUT " -- ".$this->username." <".$this->email.">  ".$this->date."\n";
 	print OUT "\n";
@@ -633,7 +634,7 @@ sub description {
 	}
 	$ret=~s/^\n+//g; # kill leading blank lines
 	$ret.=" .\n" if length $ret;
-	$ret.=" (Converted from a ".$this->origformat." package by alien.)";
+	$ret.=" (Converted from a ".$this->origformat." package by alien version $Alien::Version.)";
 	return $ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/Alien/Package/Rpm.pm b/Alien/Package/Rpm.pm
index 0511c2b..a026b2c 100644
--- a/Alien/Package/Rpm.pm
+++ b/Alien/Package/Rpm.pm
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ sub prep {
 	print OUT "\%description\n";
 	print OUT $this->description."\n";
 	print OUT "\n";
-	print OUT "(Converted from a ".$this->origformat." package by alien.)\n";
+	print OUT "(Converted from a ".$this->origformat." package by alien version $Alien::Version.)\n";
 	print OUT "\n";
 	print OUT "%files\n";
 	print OUT $filelist if defined $filelist;
diff --git a/Makefile.PL b/Makefile.PL
index 28f04ad..124e20b 100755
--- a/Makefile.PL
+++ b/Makefile.PL
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ extra_install:
 alien:
 	perl -pe ' \
 		$$_="" if /use lib/; \
-		$$_="\tmy \$$version_string=\"$(VER)\";\n" \
+		$$_="our \$$Version=\"$(VER)\";\n" \
 			if /VERSION_AUTOREPLACE/' alien.pl > alien
 }
 }
diff --git a/alien.pl b/alien.pl
index 9edc8e4..dd82097 100755
--- a/alien.pl
+++ b/alien.pl
@@ -271,16 +271,19 @@ Randolph Chung, B<<tausq@debian.org>>.
 
 The Solaris pkg code was written by Mark A. Hershberger B<<mah@everybody.org>>.
 
-Alien has been extensively rewritten (3 times) and is now maintained by
+alien has been extensively rewritten (3 times) and is now maintained by
 Joey Hess, B<<joeyh@debian.org>>.
 
 =head1 COPYRIGHT
 
-Alien may be copied and modified under the terms of the GNU General Public
+alien may be copied and modified under the terms of the GNU General Public
 License.
 
 =cut
 
+package Alien;
+our $Version='unknown'; # VERSION_AUTOREPLACE done by Makefile, DNE
+
 use strict;
 use lib '.'; # For debugging, removed by Makefile.
 use Getopt::Long;
@@ -291,18 +294,17 @@ use Alien::Package::Slp;
 use Alien::Package::Pkg;
 use Alien::Package::Lsb;
 
+# Display alien's version number.
+sub version {
+	print "alien version $Alien::Version\n";
+	exit;
+}
+
 # Returns a list of directories to search for patches.
 sub patchdirs {
 	return '/var/lib/alien',"/usr/share/alien/patches";
 }
 
-# Display alien's version number.
-sub version {
-	my $version_string='unknown'; # VERSION_AUTOREPLACE done by Makefile, DNE
-	print "Alien version $version_string\n";
-	exit;
-}
-
 # Display usage help.
 sub usage {
 	print STDERR <<EOF;