diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index cf5ae8a25..3e740b952 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ cmake (2.8.7-4) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     is now possible to force a specific python version via command line again.
     The interface has changed though, see NEWS entry. (Closes: #663188)
     Patch: backport_findpython_fixes.diff
+  * Backport a bunch of FindRuby improvements from cmake master. It should be
+    able to properly find ruby 1.9.1 as packaged in Debian now.
+    (Closes: #643949)
+    Patch: backport_findruby_improvements.diff
 
  -- Modestas Vainius <modax@debian.org>  Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:10:41 +0200
 
diff --git a/debian/patches/backport_findruby_improvements.diff b/debian/patches/backport_findruby_improvements.diff
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..857b05afc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/backport_findruby_improvements.diff
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+From: Alex Neundorf <neundorf@kde.org>
+From: Rolf Eike Beer <eike@sf-mail.de>
+Subject: Various FindRuby improvements and bug fixes
+Applied-Upstream: 2.8.8
+Bug: http://public.kitware.com/Bug/view.php?id=12172
+Bug-Debian: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=643949
+Origin: backport, commit:93c55ec FindRuby: fix usage of RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR (#12172)
+                  commit:3db2c8b FindRuby: add more possible library names (for ubuntu, #12172)
+                  commit:a9bca05 FindRuby.cmake: add more debug output
+                  commit:409aeaf FindRuby: do not blindly set version to 1.8.0
+                  commit:854e762 FindRuby: clean up querying variables from Ruby
+Last-Update: 2012-03-16
+
+Backport a bunch of FindRuby improvements and bug fixes from cmake master.
+FindRuby should find ruby 1.9.1 as packaged in Debian now.
+
+--- a/Modules/FindRuby.cmake
++++ b/Modules/FindRuby.cmake
+@@ -60,50 +60,45 @@ ENDIF("${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}"
+ FIND_PROGRAM(RUBY_EXECUTABLE NAMES ${_RUBY_POSSIBLE_EXECUTABLE_NAMES})
+ 
+ 
+-IF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE  AND NOT  RUBY_MAJOR_VERSION)
+-  # query the ruby version
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['MAJOR']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
++IF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE  AND NOT  RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
++  FUNCTION(_RUBY_CONFIG_VAR RBVAR OUTVAR)
++    EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print RbConfig::CONFIG['${RBVAR}']"
++      RESULT_VARIABLE _RUBY_SUCCESS
++      OUTPUT_VARIABLE _RUBY_OUTPUT
++      ERROR_QUIET)
++    IF(_RUBY_SUCCESS OR NOT _RUBY_OUTPUT)
++      EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['${RBVAR}']"
++        RESULT_VARIABLE _RUBY_SUCCESS
++        OUTPUT_VARIABLE _RUBY_OUTPUT
++        ERROR_QUIET)
++    ENDIF(_RUBY_SUCCESS OR NOT _RUBY_OUTPUT)
++    SET(${OUTVAR} "${_RUBY_OUTPUT}" PARENT_SCOPE)
++  ENDFUNCTION(_RUBY_CONFIG_VAR)
+ 
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['MINOR']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_VERSION_MINOR)
+ 
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['TEENY']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_VERSION_PATCH)
++  # query the ruby version
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("MAJOR" RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("MINOR" RUBY_VERSION_MINOR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("TEENY" RUBY_VERSION_PATCH)
+ 
+    # query the different directories
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['archdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_ARCH_DIR)
+-
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['arch']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_ARCH)
+-
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['rubyhdrdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_HDR_DIR)
+-
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['libdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_DIR)
+-
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['rubylibdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_RUBY_LIB_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("archdir" RUBY_ARCH_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("arch" RUBY_ARCH)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("rubyhdrdir" RUBY_HDR_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("libdir" RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("rubylibdir" RUBY_RUBY_LIB_DIR)
+ 
+    # site_ruby
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['sitearchdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_SITEARCH_DIR)
+-
+-   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['sitelibdir']"
+-      OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_SITELIB_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("sitearchdir" RUBY_SITEARCH_DIR)
++   _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("sitelibdir" RUBY_SITELIB_DIR)
+ 
+    # vendor_ruby available ?
+    EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r vendor-specific -e "print 'true'"
+       OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_HAS_VENDOR_RUBY  ERROR_QUIET)
+ 
+    IF(RUBY_HAS_VENDOR_RUBY)
+-      EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['vendorlibdir']"
+-         OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_VENDORLIB_DIR)
+-
+-      EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} -r rbconfig -e "print Config::CONFIG['vendorarchdir']"
+-         OUTPUT_VARIABLE RUBY_VENDORARCH_DIR)
++      _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("vendorlibdir" RUBY_VENDORLIB_DIR)
++      _RUBY_CONFIG_VAR("vendorarchdir" RUBY_VENDORARCH_DIR)
+    ENDIF(RUBY_HAS_VENDOR_RUBY)
+ 
+    # save the results in the cache so we don't have to run ruby the next time again
+@@ -135,11 +130,11 @@ IF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE  AND NOT  RUBY_MAJOR_
+      RUBY_VERSION_MINOR
+      RUBY_VERSION_PATCH
+      )
+-ENDIF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE  AND NOT  RUBY_MAJOR_VERSION)
++ENDIF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE  AND NOT  RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+ 
+ # In case RUBY_EXECUTABLE could not be executed (e.g. cross compiling)
+ # try to detect which version we found. This is not too good.
+-IF(NOT RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
++IF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE AND NOT RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+    # by default assume 1.8.0
+    SET(RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR 1)
+    SET(RUBY_VERSION_MINOR 8)
+@@ -149,13 +144,14 @@ IF(NOT RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+       SET(RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR 1)
+       SET(RUBY_VERSION_MINOR 9)
+    ENDIF(${RUBY_EXECUTABLE} MATCHES "ruby1.?9"  OR  RUBY_HDR_DIR)
+-ENDIF(NOT RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+-
++ENDIF(RUBY_EXECUTABLE AND NOT RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+ 
+-SET(RUBY_VERSION "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_PATCH}")
+-SET(_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}")
+-SET(_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}")
+-SET(_RUBY_NODOT_VERSION "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}${RUBY_VERSION_PATCH}")
++IF(RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
++   SET(RUBY_VERSION "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_PATCH}")
++   SET(_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}.${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}")
++   SET(_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}")
++   SET(_RUBY_NODOT_VERSION "${RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR}${RUBY_VERSION_MINOR}${RUBY_VERSION_PATCH}")
++ENDIF(RUBY_VERSION_MAJOR)
+ 
+ FIND_PATH(RUBY_INCLUDE_DIR
+    NAMES ruby.h
+@@ -167,7 +163,7 @@ FIND_PATH(RUBY_INCLUDE_DIR
+ SET(RUBY_INCLUDE_DIRS ${RUBY_INCLUDE_DIR} )
+ 
+ # if ruby > 1.8 is required or if ruby > 1.8 was found, search for the config.h dir
+-IF( ${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} GREATER 18  OR  ${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} GREATER 18  OR  RUBY_HDR_DIR)
++IF( "${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}" GREATER 18  OR  "${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}" GREATER 18  OR  RUBY_HDR_DIR)
+    FIND_PATH(RUBY_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIR
+      NAMES ruby/config.h  config.h
+      HINTS
+@@ -176,11 +172,11 @@ IF( ${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} GRE
+      )
+ 
+    SET(RUBY_INCLUDE_DIRS ${RUBY_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${RUBY_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIR} )
+-ENDIF( ${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} GREATER 18  OR  ${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} GREATER 18  OR  RUBY_HDR_DIR)
++ENDIF( "${Ruby_FIND_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}" GREATER 18  OR  "${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}" GREATER 18  OR  RUBY_HDR_DIR)
+ 
+ 
+ # Determine the list of possible names for the ruby library
+-SET(_RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_NAMES ruby ruby-static ruby${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT} ruby${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT})
++SET(_RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_NAMES ruby ruby-static ruby${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT} ruby${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT} ruby-${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT} ruby-${RUBY_VERSION})
+ 
+ IF(WIN32)
+    SET( _RUBY_MSVC_RUNTIME "" )
+@@ -224,6 +220,10 @@ IF(_RUBY_DEBUG_OUTPUT)
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_DIR: ${RUBY_POSSIBLE_LIB_DIR}")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "Found RUBY_VERSION: \"${RUBY_VERSION}\" , short: \"${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT}\", nodot: \"${_RUBY_VERSION_SHORT_NODOT}\"")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "_RUBY_REQUIRED_VARS: ${_RUBY_REQUIRED_VARS}")
++   MESSAGE(STATUS "RUBY_EXECUTABLE: ${RUBY_EXECUTABLE}")
++   MESSAGE(STATUS "RUBY_LIBRARY: ${RUBY_LIBRARY}")
++   MESSAGE(STATUS "RUBY_INCLUDE_DIR: ${RUBY_INCLUDE_DIR}")
++   MESSAGE(STATUS "RUBY_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIR: ${RUBY_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "--------------------")
+ ENDIF(_RUBY_DEBUG_OUTPUT)
+ 
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index 9eada996a..87fbee995 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ manpage_fixes.diff
 mipsel_is_little_endian.diff
 paths_in_regex_espace_metachars.diff
 backport_findpython_fixes.diff
+backport_findruby_improvements.diff