diff --git a/README b/README
index c1cfd076c..01cafa578 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -46,42 +46,61 @@ this file include the setting of the following variables:
 include_common_config	
 
   Setting it to 'no' will prevent the common kernel config from being
-  included for this particular architecture.
+  included for this particular architecture. Typical usage:
 
-header_dirs		
+  include_common_config := no
+
+headers_dirs		
 
   This variable is substituted into the headers-install script,
   controlling which asm-* directories are included into the
   kernel-headers package. By default it is set to karch (see
-  above). For sparc, for example, if will have to be set to
-  'sparc | sparc64' for the correct packages to be generated. See
-  headers-install file for details.
+  above). See header-install.in file for detail. Typical usage:
+  
+  headers_dirs := sparc | sparc64
 
-arch_makeflags
+headers_subarch
+
+  The subarch to pass to the --subarch option for the make-kpkg
+  call to build the kernel-headers. Typical usage:
+
+  headers_subarch := sparc64
+
+added_patches
+
+  Setting this variable to non-empty value will cause an option
+  --added_patches to be added to the make-kpkg 'build' and
+  'kernel-image' calls. The value of the variable will be
+  given as an argument for the --added-patchs option. The value
+  of this variable may contain a special string @uver@ which
+  is going to be expanded into the upstream kernel's version
+  with dots replaced by underscores (for example, 2_6_11 for the
+  kernel version 2.6.11). Typical usage:
+
+  added_patches := debian,hppa-@uver@
+
+build_subarch
+
+  Setting this variable to non-empty value will cause an option
+  --subarch to be added to 'build' and 'kernel-image' make-kpkg
+  calls, followed by the flavour for which the kernel is built.
+  In general, if you wish to add subarch support for your 
+  architecture, you should contact kernel-package maintainer
+  to ensure that the flavour name correctly maps onto a kernel
+  subarch name. Currently only mips and sparc are using this
+  facility, and both of them should be fine. Typical usage:
+
+  build_subarch := yes
+
+  Note that the value of this variable is ignored.
+
+build_makeflags
 
   This variable may contain the make flags settings for the
   make-kpkg invocation in the 'build' target. Currently it is
   only used by amd64, where it should be set to something like
 
-  arch_makeflags = 'CC=amd64-linux-gcc V=1"
+  build_makeflags := 'CC=amd64-linux-gcc V=1'
 
-added_patches
-
-  Setting this variable to non-empty value will cause an option
-  --added_patches to be added to the make-kpkg call in 'build'
-  target, followed by the contents of this variable. Currently
-  hppa is using it and it looks like ia64 have used it before.
-
-arch_with_subarch
-
-  Setting this variable to non-empty value will cause an option
-  --subarch to be added to make-kpkg call in 'build' target,
-  followed by the flavour for which the kernel is built. NOTE
-  that the contents of this variable are completely ignored,
-  any non-empty value indicates that --subarch option should
-  be added. In general, if you wish to add subarch support for
-  your architecture, you should contact kernel-package maintainer
-  to ensure that the flavour name correctly maps onto a kernel
-  subarch name. Currently only mips and sparc are using this
-  facility, and both of them should be fine.
+  The value of the variable must be properly quoted. 
   
diff --git a/arch/i386/Makefile.inc b/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
index 54cb8e161..c3c90ee83 100644
--- a/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
+++ b/arch/i386/Makefile.inc
@@ -2,6 +2,3 @@
 # Variables 
 #
 include_common_config = no
-added_patches = blah
-arch_with_subarch = yes
-arch_makeflags = 'CC=gcc-2.95'
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index bc11b8e72..0532d3d45 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -1,101 +1,155 @@
 #!/usr/bin/make -f
 #
-version   = 2.6.11
-abiname   = 1
-ktver     = 2
-kbuildver = 2.6-3
+# Required variables
+#
+version   := 2.6.11
+abiname   := 1
+ktver     := 2
+kbuildver := 2.6-3
 #
 # Generally nothing needs to be modified below this line
 #
-debver = $(version)-$(abiname)
-debnum = -$(abiname)
-appvan = --append_to_version $(debnum)
-bpkg   = kernel-build-$(debver)
-kdir   = kernel-source-$(version)
-kbpkg  = kernel-kbuild-$(kbuildver)
-kpatch = /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/$(version)/apply/debian
-DEBIAN_SRCTOP = $(CURDIR)/$(kdir)
-DEBIAN_UPSTREAM_VERSION = $(version)
+debver := $(version)-$(abiname)
+uver   := $(subst .,_,$(version))
+debnum := -$(abiname)
+bpkg   := kernel-build-$(debver)
+kdir   := kernel-source-$(version)
+kbpkg  := kernel-kbuild-$(kbuildver)
+kpatch := /usr/src/kernel-patches/all/$(version)/apply/debian
+export DEBIAN_SRCTOP := $(CURDIR)/$(kdir)
+export DEBIAN_UPSTREAM_VERSION := $(version)
 ifeq (,$(DEB_HOST_ARCH))
-  DEB_HOST_ARCH  = $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_ARCH)
-  DEB_BUILD_ARCH = $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_BUILD_ARCH)
+  DEB_HOST_ARCH  := $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_HOST_ARCH)
+  DEB_BUILD_ARCH := $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_BUILD_ARCH)
 endif
+#
+# The CROSS variable is only used on sparc to call
+# the correct 'strip' binary on the kernel-image.
+# Not sure whether we really need it.
+#
 ifneq ($(DEB_BUILD_ARCH),$(DEB_HOST_ARCH))
-  CROSS = $(DEB_HOST_ARCH)-linux-
+  CROSS := $(DEB_HOST_ARCH)-linux-
 endif
-karch = $(DEB_HOST_ARCH)
+karch := $(DEB_HOST_ARCH)
 
-controls = $(wildcard arch/*/control.in)
-configs = $(notdir $(wildcard arch/$(karch)/config.*))
+controls := $(wildcard arch/*/control.in)
+configs  := $(notdir $(wildcard arch/$(karch)/config.*))
 ifndef flavours
-  flavours = $(filter-out common, $(patsubst config.%,%,$(configs)))
+  flavours := $(filter-out common, $(patsubst config.%,%,$(configs)))
 endif
 
 -include arch/$(karch)/Makefile.inc
-
-ifndef header_dirs
-  header_dirs = $(karch)
+#
+# Here we construct the command lines for different make-kpkg
+# calls (build, kernel-image, kernel-headers) based on the values
+# of variables defined so far and provided by the architecture
+# in Makefile.inc. Note that $$i in these expressions is going to
+# become a reference to the shell variable $i, which is expected
+# to have the current flavour. This is slightly evil, but saves
+# a lot of grief.
+#
+kpkg_headers_cmd := HEADER_CLEAN_HOOK='$(CURDIR)/header-install' make-kpkg
+kpkg_headers_cmd += --append-to-version $(debnum)
+kpkg_build_cmd  := make-kpkg --append-to-version $(debnum)-$$i
+ifdef added_patches
+  kpkg_headers_cmd += --added_patches $(subst @uver@,$(uver),$(added_patches))
+  kpkg_build_cmd   += --added_patches $(subst @uver@,$(uver),$(added_patches))
+endif
+ifdef build_subarch
+  kpkg_build_cmd += --subarch $$i
+endif
+ifdef headers_subarch
+  kpkg_headers_cmd += --subarch $(headers_subarch)
+endif
+ifdef build_makeflags
+  kpkg_build_cmd := MAKEFLAGS=$(build_makeflags) $(kpkg_build_cmd)
+endif
+kpkg_image_cmd  := $(kpkg_build_cmd) --initrd kernel_image
+kpkg_build_cmd  += build
+kpkg_headers_cmd += kernel-headers
+ifndef headers_dirs
+  headers_dirs = $(karch)
 endif
 
 #
-# Unresolved issues:
-#  Where does the default config comes from?
+# Problems: 
+#  * What to do with default config?
+# TODO:
+#  * Check that make oldconfig does not actually
+#    change the config file. If it does, something
+#    is wrong (missing/extra options, etc).
 #
 unpack: unpack-stamp
-unpack-stamp: $(kdir) $(configs) header-install.out
-	for i in $(flavours); do                     \
-	  cp -al $(kdir) build-$$i;                  \
-	  cp config.$$i build-$$i/.config;           \
-	  make -C build-$$i ARCH=$(karch) oldconfig; \
+unpack-stamp: $(kdir) $(configs) header-install
+	for i in $(flavours); do			\
+	  cp -al $(kdir) build-$$i;			\
+	  cp config.$$i build-$$i/.config;		\
+	  make -C build-$$i ARCH=$(karch) oldconfig;	\
 	done
-#	cp default $(kdir)/.config
 	ln -s $$(command -v touch) bin/touch.orig
 	touch unpack-stamp
-
 #
-# Subarch usage:
-#   Currently only mips and sparc are calling make-kpkg
-#   with --subarch. mips is just using the names of the
-#   flavours, while for sparc it is more complicated.
-#   After looking at /usr/share/kernel-package/rules, I
-#   believe that everything will work correctly in sparc
-#   if use flavour as an argument to subarch. 
-# 
-# Unresolved issues:
-#   m68k,mips have no-op build targets
-#   How to handle subarch (mips, sparc)?
-#   What's the deal with sparc trying to strip 
-#   the kernel and copy System.map?
+# Problems:
+#   * m68k,mips have no-op build targets
+#   * sparc strips parts of the kernel after building
+#     otherwise it is too big for silo to boot.
+# TODO:
+#   * Implement optional stripping of the kernel
+#     (for sparc). 
+#   * Check that it is really ok to call --subarch
+#     with the name of the flavour. For mips which
+#     is another --subarch user it should be fine.
 #
 build: build-stamp
 build-stamp: unpack-stamp
 	dh_testdir
-	PATH=$$PWD/bin:$$PATH;                                \
-	for i in $(flavours); do                              \
-	  cd build-$$i;                                       \
-	  OPTS="--append_to_version $(debnum)-$$i";           \
-	  if [ -n '$(added_patches)' ]; then                  \
-	    OPTS="$${OPTS} --added_patches $(added_patches)"; \
-	  fi;                                                 \
-	  if [ -n '$(arch_with_subarch)' ]; then              \
-	    OPTS="$${OPTS} --subarch $$i";                    \
-	  fi;                                                 \
-	  MAKEFLAGS='$(arch_makeflags)' make-kpkg $${OPTS};   \
-	  cd ..;                                              \
+	PATH=$$PWD/bin:$$PATH;		\
+	for i in $(flavours); do	\
+	  cd build-$$i;			\
+	  $(kpkg_build_cmd);		\
+	  cd ..;			\
 	done
 	touch build-stamp
 
 clean:
-	rm -f *-stamp header-install.out config.*
+	rm -f *-stamp header-install config.*
 	rm -rf $(kdir) build-* install-* bin/touch.orig
 	dh_clean
 
-header-install.out: header-install
-	sed -e 's/@kbpkg@/$(kbpkg)/g'             \
-	    -e 's/@karch@/$(karch)/g'             \
-	    -e 's/@header_dirs@/$(header_dirs)/g' \
-        header-install > header-install.out
-	chmod u+x header-install.out
+binary-indep: build
+#
+# Problems:
+#   * sparc prepends the 'kernel-image' make-kpkg call
+#     by 'sparc32' and 'sparc64', depending on the flavour.
+#     Need to figure out the role of these binaries.
+#
+binary-arch: build
+	dh_testdir
+	dh_clean -k
+	dh_installdirs
+
+	cd $(kdir); $(kpkg_headers_cmd)
+
+	mv $(kdir)/debian/files debian
+
+	for i in $(flavours); do			\
+	  cp -al build-$$i install-$$i;			\
+	  cd install-$$i;				\
+	  $(kpkg_image_cmd);				\
+	  cd ..;					\
+	  cat install-$$i/debian/files >> debian/files	\
+	  rm -rf install-$$i
+	done
+	mv *.deb ..
+
+binary:	binary-indep binary-arch
+
+header-install: header-install.in
+	sed -e 's/@kbpkg@/$(kbpkg)/g'			\
+	    -e 's/@karch@/$(karch)/g'			\
+	    -e 's/@headers_dirs@/$(headers_dirs)/g'	\
+        header-install.in > header-install
+	chmod u+x header-install
 #
 # Generates the kernel config file for a subarch by merging
 # the arch-independent config file (arch/config.common),
@@ -123,7 +177,7 @@ config.%:
 	cat $${include} > $@ 
 	@echo " done."
 #
-# Prepare debian/control by cat'ing together all the
+# Prepares debian/control by cat'ing together all the
 # control files, substituting variables, removing all
 # empty lines and inserting a newline before every
 # line starting with 'Package:'
diff --git a/header-install b/header-install.in
similarity index 100%
rename from header-install
rename to header-install.in