diff --git a/contrib/debian/rules b/contrib/debian/rules
--- a/contrib/debian/rules
+++ b/contrib/debian/rules
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@
 	dh $@ --buildsystem=cmake+ninja --builddirectory=_build
 
 override_dh_auto_configure:
-	dh_auto_configure -- -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$$(pwd)/debian/tmp -DUSE_JEMALLOC=OFF
+	dh_auto_configure -- \
+		-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo \
+		-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$$(pwd)/debian/tmp \
+		-DCLIENT_VERSION_IS_RELEASE=ON \
+		-DUSE_JEMALLOC=OFF
 
 override_dh_auto_test:
 	ninja -C _build check