diff --git a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
index 42290ac18..ca842a8b6 100755
--- a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
 
     def do_main_setup(self, vars, makeflags, extra):
         super(Gencontrol, self).do_main_setup(vars, makeflags, extra)
-        vars.update(self.config['image',])
         makeflags.update({
             'MAJOR': self.version.linux_major,
             'VERSION': self.version.linux_version,
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
             'SOURCEVERSION': self.version.complete,
         })
 
-    def do_main_packages(self, packages, extra):
+    def do_main_packages(self, packages, vars, makeflags, extra):
         packages.extend(self.process_packages(self.templates["control.main"], self.vars))
         packages.append(self.process_real_tree(self.templates["control.tree"][0], self.vars))
         packages.extend(self.process_packages(self.templates["control.support"], self.vars))
diff --git a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
index be394308e..524644a00 100644
--- a/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/lib/python/debian_linux/gencontrol.py
@@ -95,17 +95,14 @@ class Gencontrol(object):
     def do_main(self, packages, makefile):
         config_entry = self.config['base',]
         vars = self.vars.copy()
-        vars.update(config_entry)
 
         makeflags = MakeFlags()
         extra = {}
 
         self.do_main_setup(vars, makeflags, extra)
-        self.do_main_packages(packages, extra)
         self.do_main_makefile(makefile, makeflags, extra)
-
-        for arch in iter(self.config['base',]['arches']):
-            self.do_arch(packages, makefile, arch, vars.copy(), makeflags.copy(), extra)
+        self.do_main_packages(packages, vars, makeflags, extra)
+        self.do_main_recurse(packages, makefile, vars, makeflags, extra)
 
     def do_main_setup(self, vars, makeflags, extra):
         pass
@@ -113,9 +110,13 @@ class Gencontrol(object):
     def do_main_makefile(self, makefile, makeflags, extra):
         makefile.add('binary-indep', cmds = ["$(MAKE) -f debian/rules.real binary-indep %s" % makeflags])
 
-    def do_main_packages(self, packages, extra):
+    def do_main_packages(self, packages, vars, makeflags, extra):
         pass
 
+    def do_main_recurse(self, packages, makefile, vars, makeflags, extra):
+        for arch in iter(self.config['base',]['arches']):
+            self.do_arch(packages, makefile, arch, vars.copy(), makeflags.copy(), extra)
+
     def do_extra(self, packages, makefile):
         templates_extra = self.templates.get("control.extra", None)
         if templates_extra is None:
@@ -143,7 +144,6 @@ class Gencontrol(object):
 
     def do_arch(self, packages, makefile, arch, vars, makeflags, extra):
         config_base = self.config['base', arch]
-        vars.update(config_base)
         vars['arch'] = arch
 
         makeflags['ARCH'] = arch