diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 197dfe0d55c970694ead2a68aecccfa88aefbd27..bafee3059745feb9180f8d0b329337b2caf55cf7 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ python-defaults (2.6.5-6) unstable; urgency=low
       521508, thanks to Carl Chenet for the original patch)
     - print nice error message if computed set of supported versions is empty
       (closes: 583392)
+  * debian/rules: do not ignore errors (two more `set -e`s added, closes:
+    397499)
 
   [ Scott Kitterman ]
   * Merge changes back from Ubuntu package:
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index ce544717dd2bc8ce91db26820fb55095103ed8a0..e21d9f840529a129791d534064f2048c0e546e69 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ clean: control-file
 	rm -rf debian/python-policy.html
 	rm -f faq/*.h2 faq/*.html
 
+	set -e;\
 	for f in debian/*.in; do \
 	    f2=`echo $$f | sed "s,PVER,$(PVER),g;s/VER/$(VER)/g;s,\.in$$,,"`; \
 	    if [ $$f2 != debian/control ]; then \
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ clean: control-file
 stamp-control:
 	: # We have to prepare the various control files
 
+	set -e;\
 	for f in debian/*.in; do \
 	    f2=`echo $$f | sed "s,PVER,$(PVER),g;s/VER/$(VER)/g;s,\.in$$,,"`; \
 	    if [ $$f2 != debian/control ]; then \