diff --git a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
index 5c6e42700..e9785f6de 100755
--- a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ from debian_linux.gencontrol import Gencontrol as Base
 from debian_linux.debian import *
 
 class Gencontrol(Base):
-    def __init__(self):
-        super(Gencontrol, self).__init__()
+    def __init__(self, config_dirs = ["debian/config"], template_dirs = ["debian/templates"]):
+        super(Gencontrol, self).__init__(config_dirs = config_dirs, template_dirs = template_dirs)
         self.process_changelog()
+        self.config_dirs = config_dirs
 
     def do_main_setup(self, vars, makeflags, extra):
         super(Gencontrol, self).do_main_setup(vars, makeflags, extra)
@@ -188,19 +189,25 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
             return entry.get('configs', None)
 
         def check_config_default(fail, f):
-            f1 = "debian/config/" + f
-            if os.path.exists(f1):
-                return [f]
+            for d in self.config_dirs[::-1]:
+                f1 = d + '/' + f
+                if os.path.exists(f1):
+                    return [f1]
             if fail:
                 raise RuntimeError("%s unavailable" % f)
             return []
 
         def check_config_files(files):
+            ret = []
             for f in files:
-                f1 = "debian/config/" + f
-                if not os.path.exists(f1):
+                for d in self.config_dirs[::-1]:
+                    f1 = d + '/' + f
+                    if os.path.exists(f1):
+                        ret.append(f1)
+                        break
+                else:
                     raise RuntimeError("%s unavailable" % f)
-            return files
+            return ret
 
         def check_config(default, fail, *entry_name):
             configs = get_config(*entry_name)
@@ -208,7 +215,7 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
                 return check_config_default(fail, default)
             return check_config_files(configs)
 
-        kconfig = ['config']
+        kconfig = check_config('config', True)
         kconfig.extend(check_config("featureset-%s/config" % featureset, False, None, featureset))
         kconfig.extend(check_config("%s/config" % arch, True, arch))
         kconfig.extend(check_config("%s/config.%s" % (arch, flavour), False, arch, None, flavour))
diff --git a/debian/bin/kconfig.py b/debian/bin/kconfig.py
index b7bcf83f4..0e189d7e0 100755
--- a/debian/bin/kconfig.py
+++ b/debian/bin/kconfig.py
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import optparse, os.path, sys
 from debian_linux.kconfig import *
 
 def merge(output, *config):
-    config = [os.path.join('debian/config', c) for c in config]
-
     kconfig = KconfigFile()
     for c in config:
         kconfig.read(file(c))
diff --git a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
index e7b2ee383..a2198fa5d 100644
--- a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class MakeFlags(dict):
 class Gencontrol(object):
     makefile_targets = ('binary-arch', 'build', 'setup', 'source')
 
-    def __init__(self, config_dirs = ["debian/config"], template_dirs = ["debian/templates"]):
+    def __init__(self, config_dirs, template_dirs):
         self.config = ConfigReaderCore(config_dirs)
         self.templates = Templates(template_dirs)
 
diff --git a/debian/rules.real b/debian/rules.real
index b7b12c73d..d8dc18eaa 100644
--- a/debian/rules.real
+++ b/debian/rules.real
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ setup-flavour: $(STAMPS_DIR)/setup_$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)_$(FLAVOUR)_$(TYPE)
 source-arch: $(STAMPS_DIR)/source
 source-featureset: $(STAMPS_DIR)/source_$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)
 
-$(BUILD_DIR)/config.$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)_$(FLAVOUR): $(foreach t,$(KCONFIG),debian/config/$(t))
+$(BUILD_DIR)/config.$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)_$(FLAVOUR): $(KCONFIG)
 	python2.4 debian/bin/kconfig.py '$@' $(KCONFIG)
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/linux-source-$(UPSTREAMVERSION).tar.bz2: SOURCE_DIR=$(BUILD_DIR)/source