diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 120d92fc4cbb74b069ab2e418fef1d25a16effa6..1dc7c077be0304c577b4309f7a54b4538fe3e5c3 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ python-defaults (2.6.5-6) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     - python: Add an unversioned `2to3' binary (Change pending in Debian)
     - python-minimal: Provide symlink to binary and manpage for
       /usr/bin/python2 (Closes: #566266)
+  * Update hard coded fallbacks in debian/pyversions.py to add python2.6 to
+    supported versions and to make it the default version
 
  -- Scott Kitterman <scott@kitterman.com>  Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:53:31 -0400
 
diff --git a/debian/pyversions.py b/debian/pyversions.py
index b664671250459a70bcd0109a40a89e4579f520ae..1e841bc074eab989439e6a11b33ce8695a33a135 100644
--- a/debian/pyversions.py
+++ b/debian/pyversions.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ def supported_versions(version_only=False):
             if not _supported_versions:
                 # last resort: python-minimal not installed, apt-cache
                 # not available, hard code the value, #394084
-                _supported_versions = ['python2.5',]
+                _supported_versions = ['python2.5', 'python2.6']
     if version_only:
         return [v[6:] for v in _supported_versions]
     else:
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def default_version(version_only=False):
         try:
             debian_default = read_default('default-version')
         except ValueError:
-            debian_default = "python2.5"
+            debian_default = "python2.6"
         if not _default_version in (debian_default, os.path.join('/usr/bin', debian_default)):
             raise ValueError, "/usr/bin/python does not match the python default version. It must be reset to point to %s" % debian_default
         _default_version = debian_default