diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 877d20ce9..ca55a6ed8 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ linux (3.10.5-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * ext4: fix retry handling in ext4_ext_truncate()
   * atl1c: Fix misuse of netdev_alloc_skb in refilling rx ring
     (Closes: #718505)
+  * [rt] genpatch.py: Accept missing series-rt
 
  -- Ben Hutchings <ben@decadent.org.uk>  Tue, 30 Jul 2013 18:09:20 +0200
 
diff --git a/debian/patches/features/all/rt/genpatch.py b/debian/patches/features/all/rt/genpatch.py
index a494f9b38..83a6ccb1c 100755
--- a/debian/patches/features/all/rt/genpatch.py
+++ b/debian/patches/features/all/rt/genpatch.py
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ def main(source_dir, version):
     old_series = set()
     new_series = set()
 
-    with open(os.path.join(patch_dir, series_name), 'r') as series_fh:
-        for line in series_fh:
-            name = line.strip()
-            if name != '' and name[0] != '#':
-                old_series.add(name)
+    try:
+        with open(os.path.join(patch_dir, series_name), 'r') as series_fh:
+            for line in series_fh:
+                name = line.strip()
+                if name != '' and name[0] != '#':
+                    old_series.add(name)
+    except IOError, e:
+        if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
+            raise
 
     with open(os.path.join(patch_dir, series_name), 'w') as series_fh:
         # Add directory prefix to all filenames.