diff --git a/debian/Makefile b/debian/Makefile
index 71d7aae3a..e7edb6547 100644
--- a/debian/Makefile
+++ b/debian/Makefile
@@ -59,10 +59,6 @@ kpkg_headers_cmd += make-kpkg --append-to-version $(append)$(debnum)
 kpkg_headers_cmd += --stem linux
 kpkg_build_cmd := make-kpkg --append-to-version $(debnum)-@flavour@
 kpkg_build_cmd += --stem linux
-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 $(build_subarch)
 endif
@@ -166,6 +162,9 @@ config.%:
 	cat $(basedir)/$@ >> $@			 
 
 srcfiles := $(filter-out ../debian ../linux-source-$(version), $(shell echo ../*))
+patches  := $(wildcard patches-debian/$(subarch).*)
+patches  += $(wildcarc patches-debian/$(karch).*)
+patches  := $(strip $(patches))
 $(kdir): post-install-$(subarch) $(controls)
 	mkdir -p $(tkdir)
 	cp -al $(srcfiles) $(tkdir)
@@ -180,7 +179,11 @@ $(kdir): post-install-$(subarch) $(controls)
             -e 's/@abiname@/$(abiname)/g' |	\
         sed '/^[[:space:]]*$$/d' |		\
         sed 's/^Package:/\n&/g' > $(tkdir)/debian/control
-	touch $(tkdir)/debian/official
+	touch $(tkdir)/debian/official	
+	if [ -n '$(patches)' ]; then			\
+	  cd $(tkdir);					\
+	  cat $(addprefix ../,$(patches)) | patch -p1;	\
+	fi
 	install post-install-$(subarch) $(tkdir)/debian/post-install
 	mv $(tkdir) $@
 #
diff --git a/debian/README b/debian/README
index 70f3c1538..a9b8cae9f 100644
--- a/debian/README
+++ b/debian/README
@@ -12,9 +12,12 @@ Support for arch/subarch-specific patches
 -----------------------------------------
 Patches specific to a particular architecture or subarchitecture and
 not included into the debian patch set should be placed in the
-'patches' subdirectory of arch/<arch> or arch/<arch>/<subarch>. This
-directory is expected to contain the patch files and a file 'list'
-with list of patches to apply.
+debian/patches-arch subdirectory. Patch must be named <arch>.diff or
+<subarch>.diff. If such patch is present, it will be automatically
+applied during the unpacking of the build tree for a particular
+(sub)architecture. Patches present in the debian/patches-arch will also
+be included in the kernel-patch-debian package, suitable for building
+kernels with make-kpkg.
 
 Config files
 ------------
@@ -128,19 +131,6 @@ headers_subarch
 
   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