diff --git a/packaging/build_deb.sh b/packaging/build_deb.sh
index 1b102318..1444531f 100755
--- a/packaging/build_deb.sh
+++ b/packaging/build_deb.sh
@@ -95,11 +95,20 @@ cd "$BUILD_DIR"
 if test "$DEBCHANGE_VENDOR" = debian; then
 	# if this is the main (Debian) build, update the source changelog
 	/bin/cp --archive --no-target-directory debian/changelog "$DEBIAN_FILES"/changelog
-else
+elif test -d "$DEBIAN_FILES_VENDOR"; then
 	# else copy any additional files
 	/bin/cp --archive --target-directory=debian/ "$DEBIAN_FILES_VENDOR"/* || true
 fi
 
+# install vendor-specific substvars files, if any
+/usr/bin/find debian/ -type f -name "substvars.*.$DEBCHANGE_VENDOR" |\
+while read subst_source; do
+	subst_target="${subst_source%.$DEBCHANGE_VENDOR}"
+	/bin/mv --force "$subst_source" "$subst_target"
+done
+# remove the templates, they are not relevant to the debian source package
+/bin/rm --force debian/substvars.*.*
+
 /usr/bin/debuild \
 	--lintian --tgz-check \
 	--preserve-envvar=DISPLAY \
diff --git a/packaging/debian/control b/packaging/debian/control
index 3015cb6b..5bfbb4cd 100644
--- a/packaging/debian/control
+++ b/packaging/debian/control
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Package: solaar
 Architecture: all
 Depends: ${misc:Depends}, ${debconf:Depends}, udev (>= 175), passwd | adduser,
  ${python:Depends}, python-pyudev (>= 0.13), python-gi (>= 3.2), gir1.2-gtk-3.0 (>= 3.4),
- ${DesktopIconTheme}
+ ${Desktop-Icon-Theme}
 Recommends: gir1.2-notify-0.7, consolekit (>= 0.4.3) | systemd (>= 44),
  python-dbus (>= 1.1.0), upower
 Suggests: gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1, solaar-gnome3 (= ${source:Version})
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Architecture: all
 Section: gnome
 Depends: ${misc:Depends}, solaar (= ${source:Version}),
  gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1, gnome-shell (>= 3.4) | unity (>= 5.10),
- ${GnomeIconTheme}
+ ${Gnome-Icon-Theme}
 Enhances: solaar
 Description: gnome-shell/Unity integration for Solaar
  Solaar is a Linux device manager for Logitech's Unifying Receiver peripherals.
diff --git a/packaging/debian/rules b/packaging/debian/rules
index ad44ced7..3e71026d 100755
--- a/packaging/debian/rules
+++ b/packaging/debian/rules
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ override_dh_python2:
 	dh_python2 $(PREFIX)/share/solaar
 
 override_dh_gencontrol:
-	dh_gencontrol -- -Tdebian/substvars.extra
+	dh_gencontrol -- -Tdebian/substvars.theme
diff --git a/packaging/debian/substvars.extra b/packaging/debian/substvars.extra
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ea46f46..00000000
--- a/packaging/debian/substvars.extra
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-DesktopIconTheme=gnome-icon-theme | oxygen-icon-theme
-GnomeIconTheme=gnome-icon-theme
diff --git a/packaging/debian/substvars.theme b/packaging/debian/substvars.theme
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4b2e6bf3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/debian/substvars.theme
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# distro package containing some required icons
+Desktop-Icon-Theme=gnome-icon-theme | oxygen-icon-theme
+
+# dependency for solaar-gnome3 (gnome-shell/unity specific)
+Gnome-Icon-Theme=gnome-icon-theme
diff --git a/packaging/debian/substvars.theme.ubuntu b/packaging/debian/substvars.theme.ubuntu
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..10958ea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/debian/substvars.theme.ubuntu
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Desktop-Icon-Theme=gnome-icon-theme-full | oxygen-icon-theme-complete
+Gnome-Icon-Theme=gnome-icon-theme-full
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu/rules.extra b/packaging/ubuntu/rules.extra
deleted file mode 100644
index bd09ae47..00000000
--- a/packaging/ubuntu/rules.extra
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-# this file is included by debian/rules
-
-PREFIX = /opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar
-
-# hacky...
-override_dh_link:
-	dh_link
-	# replace the Exec and Icon targets with the proper full paths
-	sed -i -e 's#Exec=solaar#Exec=/opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/bin/solaar#' \
-		debian/solaar/opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/applications/solaar.desktop
-	sed -i -e 's#Icon=solaar#Icon=/opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/pixmaps/solaar.png#' \
-		debian/solaar/opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/applications/solaar.desktop
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.install b/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.install
deleted file mode 100644
index 49f8099d..00000000
--- a/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.install
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/bin/
-opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/solaar/
-opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/applications/
-opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/pixmaps/
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.links b/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.links
deleted file mode 100644
index f6221876..00000000
--- a/packaging/ubuntu/solaar.links
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-opt/extras.ubuntu.com/solaar/share/applications/solaar.desktop usr/share/applications/extras-solaar.desktop
diff --git a/packaging/ubuntu/substvars.extra b/packaging/ubuntu/substvars.extra
deleted file mode 100644
index b0701228..00000000
--- a/packaging/ubuntu/substvars.extra
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-DesktopIconTheme=gnome-icon-theme-full | oxygen-icon-theme-complete
-GnomeIconTheme=gnome-icon-theme-full