diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 6b9c0d3a99..af91b51f56 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ git-annex (5.20140222) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * webdav: Fix path separator bug when used on Windows.
   * repair: Optimise unpacking of pack files, and avoid repeated error
     messages about corrupt pack files.
+  * Add build dep on regex-compat to fix build on mipsel, which lacks
+    regex-tdfa.
 
  -- Joey Hess <joeyh@debian.org>  Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:03:04 -0400
 
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 067c2ab675..bcb51d9357 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ Build-Depends:
 	libghc-http-dev,
 	libghc-feed-dev,
 	libghc-regex-tdfa-dev [!mipsel !s390],
+	libghc-regex-compat-dev [mipsel s390],
 	libghc-tasty-dev (>= 0.7) [!mipsel !sparc],
 	libghc-tasty-hunit-dev [!mipsel !sparc],
 	libghc-tasty-quickcheck-dev [!mipsel !sparc],
diff --git a/git-annex.cabal b/git-annex.cabal
index 3189a8ab4f..8228cdc66c 100644
--- a/git-annex.cabal
+++ b/git-annex.cabal
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ Executable git-annex
   if flag(TDFA)
     Build-Depends: regex-tdfa
     CPP-Options: -DWITH_TDFA
+  else
+    Build-Depends: regex-compat
   
   if flag(CryptoHash)
     Build-Depends: cryptohash (>= 0.10.0)