diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 08af6558f..3c3ce181d 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ linux (3.2.28-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * [x86] drm/i915: Fix i8xx interrupt handling (Closes: #655152)
   * speakup: Fix crash on 'goto' operation (Closes: #685953)
   * [armel/kirkwood] ahci: Add JMicron 362 device IDs (Closes: #634180)
+  * speakup: lower default software speech rate (Closes: #686742)
 
   [ Bastian Blank ]
   * Make xen-linux-system meta-packages depend on xen-system. This allows
diff --git a/debian/patches/bugfix/all/speakup-lower-default-software-speech-rate.patch b/debian/patches/bugfix/all/speakup-lower-default-software-speech-rate.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..014ee3daf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/bugfix/all/speakup-lower-default-software-speech-rate.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+From: Samuel Thibault <samuel.thibault@ens-lyon.org>
+Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:35:17 +0200
+Subject: speakup: lower default software speech rate
+
+commit cfd757010691eae4e17acc246f74e7622c3a2f05 upstream.
+
+Speech synthesis beginners need a low speech rate, and trained people
+want a high speech rate.  A medium speech rate is thus actually not a
+good default for neither.  Since trained people will typically know how
+to change the rate, better default for a low speech rate, which
+beginners can grasp and learn how to increase it afterwards
+
+This was agreed with users on the speakup mailing list.
+
+Signed-off-by: Samuel Thibault <samuel.thibault@ens-lyon.org>
+Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
+---
+ drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_soft.c |    2 +-
+ 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_soft.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_soft.c
+index 42cdafe..2a67610 100644
+--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_soft.c
++++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/speakup_soft.c
+@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ static int misc_registered;
+ static struct var_t vars[] = {
+ 	{ CAPS_START, .u.s = {"\x01+3p" } },
+ 	{ CAPS_STOP, .u.s = {"\x01-3p" } },
+-	{ RATE, .u.n = {"\x01%ds", 5, 0, 9, 0, 0, NULL } },
++	{ RATE, .u.n = {"\x01%ds", 2, 0, 9, 0, 0, NULL } },
+ 	{ PITCH, .u.n = {"\x01%dp", 5, 0, 9, 0, 0, NULL } },
+ 	{ VOL, .u.n = {"\x01%dv", 5, 0, 9, 0, 0, NULL } },
+ 	{ TONE, .u.n = {"\x01%dx", 1, 0, 2, 0, 0, NULL } },
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index c2d568517..346aed86a 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -396,3 +396,4 @@ bugfix/alpha/alpha-use-large-data-model.diff
 bugfix/x86/drm-i915-i8xx-interrupt-handler.patch
 bugfix/all/staging-speakup-fix-an-improperly-declared-variable.patch
 features/arm/ahci-Add-JMicron-362-device-IDs.patch
+bugfix/all/speakup-lower-default-software-speech-rate.patch