diff --git a/backportpackage b/backportpackage
index 2ff056b..d658fa5 100755
--- a/backportpackage
+++ b/backportpackage
@@ -204,7 +204,13 @@ def find_package(mirror, workdir, package, version, source_release, config):
     return srcpkg
 
 def get_backport_version(version, suffix, upload, release):
-    backport_version = version + ('~%s1' % release)
+    distribution = codename_to_distribution(release)
+    if not distribution:
+        error('Unknown release codename %s' % release)
+    series = Distribution(distribution.lower()).\
+        getSeries(name_or_version=release)
+
+    backport_version = version + ('~%s%s.1' % (distribution.lower(), series.version))
     if suffix is not None:
         backport_version += suffix
     elif upload and upload.startswith('ppa:'):
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 4b90ee6..f85a78f 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ ubuntu-dev-tools (0.142) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   [ Evan Broder ]
   * backportpackage: Add -c, --close flag to include a changelog closer.
+  * backportpackage: Switch to ~ubuntu12.04.1-style version numbers
+    instead of ~precise1, to make our version numbers more future-proof.
 
- -- Evan Broder <evan@ebroder.net>  Fri, 11 May 2012 09:54:01 -0700
+ -- Evan Broder <evan@ebroder.net>  Sun, 13 May 2012 13:49:35 -0700
 
 ubuntu-dev-tools (0.141) unstable; urgency=low
 
diff --git a/doc/backportpackage.1 b/doc/backportpackage.1
index 721e2ed..b85f310 100644
--- a/doc/backportpackage.1
+++ b/doc/backportpackage.1
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ development release for your distribution.
 .B \-S \fISUFFIX\fR, \fB\-\-suffix\fR=\fISUFFIX\fR
 Add the specified suffix to the version number when
 backporting. \fBbackportpackage\fR will always append
-~\fIDESTINATION\fR1 to the original version number, and if
+~ubuntu\fIDESTINATION\fR.1 to the original version number, and if
 \fISUFFIX\fR is specified, it is appended to that, to get version
 numbers of the form
-\fIORIGINAL_VERSION\fR~\fIDESTINATION\fR1\fISUFFIX\fR. If the
+\fIORIGINAL_VERSION\fR~ubuntu\fIDESTINATION\fR.1\fISUFFIX\fR. If the
 backported package is being uploaded to a PPA, then \fISUFFIX\fR
 defaults to \fB~ppa1\fR, otherwise the default is blank.
 .TP