diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 3390ddd75d3..298fb7cc979 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE  ?= $(shell dpkg-architecture -qDEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE)
 
 DISTRIBUTION := $(shell dpkg-parsechangelog --format rfc822 | sed -ne "s/^Distribution: //p")
 ifneq ($(DISTRIBUTION),$(findstring $(DISTRIBUTION),"lenny hardy intrepid jaunty karmic"))
-DISTRIBUTION := sid	
+DISTRIBUTION := sid
 endif
 
 QGIS_MAJOR=$(shell sed -ne 's/SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_MAJOR "\([0-9]*\)")/\1/p' CMakeLists.txt)
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ QGIS_PATCH=$(shell sed -ne 's/SET(CPACK_PACKAGE_VERSION_PATCH "\([0-9]*\)")/\1/p
 QGIS_ABI=$(QGIS_MAJOR).$(QGIS_MINOR).$(QGIS_PATCH)
 GRASS_ABI=$(subst .,,$(shell pkg-config --modversion grass|sed -e "s/\.//g" -e "s/RC/-/"))
 
-CMAKE_OPTS = \
+CMAKE_OPTS := \
 	-Wno-dev \
 	-D GRASS_PREFIX=/usr/lib/grass64 \
 	-D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr \
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ CMAKE_OPTS = \
 	-D WITH_SPATIALITE=TRUE \
 	-D WITH_INTERNAL_SPATIALITE=TRUE
 
+ifeq ($(DISTRIBUTION),sid)
+# depend on python 2.5 while transition to python 2.6 is on
+CMAKE_OPTS += -D PYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/usr/bin/python2.5
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(findstring $(DISTRIBUTION),"hardy intrepid"))
 LDFLAGS += -Wl,--as-needed -Wl,--no-undefined
 endif