diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3d3431493d..649fb59e93 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ BASEFLAGS=-threaded -Wall $(IGNORE) -outputdir $(GIT_ANNEX_TMP_BUILD_DIR) -IUtil
 
 # If you get build failures due to missing haskell libraries,
 # you can turn off some of these features.
-FEATURES=-DWITH_ASSISTANT -DWITH_S3 -DWITH_WEBAPP -DWITH_OLD_YESOD -DWITH_PAIRING
+#
+# If you're using an old version of yesod, enable -DWITH_OLD_YESOD
+FEATURES=$(GIT_ANNEX_LOCAL_FEATURES) -DWITH_ASSISTANT -DWITH_S3 -DWITH_WEBAPP -DWITH_PAIRING
 
 bins=git-annex
 mans=git-annex.1 git-annex-shell.1
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 001b75a4f0..0f8352401b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ git-annex (3.20120925) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * webapp: Avoid crashing when ssh-keygen -F chokes on an invalid known_hosts
     file.
   * Always do a system wide installation when DESTDIR is set. Closes: #689052
+  * The Makefile now builds with the new yesod by default.
+    Systems like Debian that have the old yesod 1.0.1 should set
+    GIT_ANNEX_LOCAL_FEATURES=-DWITH_OLD_YESOD
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:58:07 -0400
 
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 9079120a80..aeb947054e 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/make -f
+
+export GIT_ANNEX_LOCAL_FEATURES=-DWITH_OLD_YESOD
+
 %:
 	dh $@