diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 16d0d2ef4..9f19875f6 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -38,15 +38,19 @@ $(BUILD_DIR) $(STAMPS_DIR):
 	@[ -d $@ ] || mkdir $@
 
 DIR_ORIG = ../orig/$(SOURCE)-$(VERSION)
-TAR_ORIG = ../$(SOURCE)_$(VERSION).orig.tar.gz
+TAR_ORIG_NAME = $(SOURCE)_$(VERSION).orig.tar.gz
+TAR_ORIG = $(firstword $(wildcard ../$(TAR_ORIG_NAME)) $(wildcard ../orig/$(TAR_ORIG_NAME)))
 
 orig: $(DIR_ORIG)
 	rsync --delete --exclude debian --exclude .svk --exclude .svn --link-dest=$(DIR_ORIG)/ -a $(DIR_ORIG)/ .
 
 $(DIR_ORIG):
-	@[ -e $(TAR_ORIG) ] || ( echo "Can't find orig tarball" >&2; exit 1 )
+ifeq ($(TAR_ORIG),)
+	$(error Cannot find orig tarball $(TAR_ORIG_NAME))
+else
 	mkdir -p ../orig
 	tar -C ../orig -xzf $(TAR_ORIG)
+endif
 
 maintainerclean:
 	rm -f debian/control debian/control.md5sum debian/rules.gen debian/bin/patch.* debian/linux-*