diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index c55dfa10..0c2ea6ae 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -189,15 +189,11 @@ ifneq ("$(SIGN)","1")
 DPKG_OPT=-us -uc
 endif
 deb-package: deb-package-python2 deb-package-python3
-	mkdir -p $(DSTDIR)
-	mv $(BLDDIR)/$(DEBPKG) $(DSTDIR)
-	mv $(BLDDIR)/python3-$(DEBPKG) $(DSTDIR)
 
 deb-package-prep: $(DSTDIR)/$(SRCPKG)
 	mkdir -p $(BLDDIR)
-	cp $(DSTDIR)/$(SRCPKG) $(BLDDIR)
-	(cd $(BLDDIR); tar xfz $(SRCPKG))
-	(cd $(BLDDIR); mv $(SRCPKG) weewx_$(VERSION).orig.tar.gz)
+	tar xfz $(DSTDIR)/$(SRCPKG) -C $(BLDDIR)
+	cp -p $(DSTDIR)/$(SRCPKG) $(BLDDIR)/weewx_$(VERSION).orig.tar.gz
 	rm -rf $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian
 	mkdir -m 0755 $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian
 	mkdir -m 0755 $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/source
@@ -216,11 +212,19 @@ deb-package-prep: $(DSTDIR)/$(SRCPKG)
 
 deb-package-python2: deb-package-prep
 	cp pkg/debian/control $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian
+	rm -rf $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/weewx*
+	rm -f $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/files
 	(cd $(DEBBLDDIR); dpkg-buildpackage $(DPKG_OPT))
+	mkdir -p $(DSTDIR)
+	mv $(BLDDIR)/$(DEBPKG) $(DSTDIR)
 
 deb-package-python3: deb-package-prep
 	cp pkg/debian/control.python3 $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/control
+	rm -rf $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/weewx*
+	rm -f $(DEBBLDDIR)/debian/files
 	(cd $(DEBBLDDIR); DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS=python3 dpkg-buildpackage $(DPKG_OPT))
+	mkdir -p $(DSTDIR)
+	mv $(BLDDIR)/python3-$(DEBPKG) $(DSTDIR)
 
 # run lintian on the deb package
 check-deb:
@@ -326,3 +330,4 @@ code-summary:
 	@for d in weecfg weedb weeutil weewx; do \
   cloc bin/$$d/tests; \
 done
+
diff --git a/pkg/debian/control.python3 b/pkg/debian/control.python3
index a0cf7af4..165721a7 100644
--- a/pkg/debian/control.python3
+++ b/pkg/debian/control.python3
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ Standards-Version: 3.9.2
 Homepage: http://www.weewx.com
 Build-Depends: debhelper (>=8)
 
-Package: weewx
+Package: python3-weewx
+Replaces: weewx
+Breaks: weewx
 Priority: optional
 Architecture: all
 Pre-Depends: debconf
diff --git a/pkg/debian/rules b/pkg/debian/rules
index a06c0a81..f209f609 100755
--- a/pkg/debian/rules
+++ b/pkg/debian/rules
@@ -9,21 +9,21 @@
 # determine which python we should use
 ifneq (,$(filter python3,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
 PYTHON=python3
-DST_WEEWX=weewx
+PKG=python3-weewx
 else
 PYTHON=python2
-DST_WEEWX=weewx
+PKG=weewx
 endif
 
 SRC=$(CURDIR)
-DST=$(CURDIR)/debian/$(DST_WEEWX)
+DST=$(CURDIR)/debian/$(PKG)
 DST_EXECDIR=$(DST)/usr/bin
 DST_BINDIR =$(DST)/usr/share/weewx
 DST_DOCDIR =$(DST)/usr/share/doc/weewx
 DST_INITDIR=$(DST)/etc/init.d
 DST_CFGDIR =$(DST)/etc/weewx
 
-# these are the entry points for weewx
+# these are the entry points
 ENTRIES=weewxd wee_config wee_database wee_debug wee_device wee_extension wee_import wee_reports wunderfixer
 
 %:
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ override_dh_auto_clean:
 	rm -rf build dist
 	rm -f *.egg-info
 
+# this install rule duplicates what the weewx setup.py would do.  we should
+# be able to remove this when the weewx setup.py respects --no-prompt and
+# when --prefix works properly.
 install:
 	dh_testdir
 	dh_testroot