diff --git a/components/packaging/deb/Makefile b/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
index fc1910fc61..fdea8c8922 100644
--- a/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
+++ b/components/packaging/deb/Makefile
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@ VERSION?=0.0.0-dev
 DEB_VERSION=$(shell ./gen-deb-ver $(ENGINE_DIR) "$(VERSION)")
 DOCKER_EXPERIMENTAL:=0
 CHOWN:=docker run --rm -v $(CURDIR):/v -w /v alpine chown
+EPOCH?=
 
 BUILD=docker build -t debbuild-$@/$(ARCH) -f $(CURDIR)/$@/Dockerfile.$(ARCH) .
 RUN=docker run --rm -i \
+	-e EPOCH='$(EPOCH)' \
 	-e DEB_VERSION=$(DEB_VERSION) \
 	-e VERSION=$(VERSION) \
 	-e DOCKER_GITCOMMIT=$(GITCOMMIT) \
diff --git a/components/packaging/deb/build-deb b/components/packaging/deb/build-deb
index a0c651952c..283c1114a6 100755
--- a/components/packaging/deb/build-deb
+++ b/components/packaging/deb/build-deb
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 set -x
 set -e
 
+EPOCH="${EPOCH:-}"
+EPOCH_SEP=""
+if [[ ! -z "$EPOCH" ]]; then
+    EPOCH_SEP=":"
+fi
+
 if [[ -z "$DEB_VERSION" ]]; then
     echo "DEB_VERSION is required to build deb packages"
     exit 1
@@ -27,7 +33,7 @@ debMaintainer="$(awk -F ': ' '$1 == "Maintainer" { print $2; exit }' debian/cont
 debDate="$(date --rfc-2822)"
 
 cat > "debian/changelog" <<-EOF
-$debSource (${DEB_VERSION}-0~${DISTRO}) $SUITE; urgency=low
+$debSource (${EPOCH}${EPOCH_SEP}${DEB_VERSION}-0~${DISTRO}) $SUITE; urgency=low
   * Version: $VERSION
  -- $debMaintainer  $debDate
 EOF