diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 912bf8a..d4815ff 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ ubuntu-dev-tools (0.142) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     (LP: #979117)
   * pbuilder-dist: Don't try to enable -updates for Debian testing
     (LP: #993006)
+  * pbuilder-dist, pull-debian-source, pull-lp-source, requestsync,
+    reverse-depends, submittodebian, syncpackage:
+    Handle outdated distro-info data. Fall back to sane defaults where
+    possible.
 
  -- Stefano Rivera <stefanor@debian.org>  Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:38:58 +0200
 
diff --git a/pbuilder-dist b/pbuilder-dist
index 8757678..347289c 100755
--- a/pbuilder-dist
+++ b/pbuilder-dist
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import os
 import sys
 
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo, UbuntuDistroInfo
+from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo, UbuntuDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 import ubuntutools.misc
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
@@ -266,8 +266,11 @@ class PbuilderDist:
         othermirrors = []
         if self.target_distro in self._debian_distros:
             debian_info = DebianDistroInfo()
-            codename = debian_info.codename(self.target_distro,
-                                            default=self.target_distro)
+            try:
+                codename = debian_info.codename(self.target_distro,
+                                                default=self.target_distro)
+            except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+                Logger.warn(e)
             if codename in (debian_info.devel(), 'experimental'):
                 self.enable_security = False
                 self.enable_updates = False
@@ -286,7 +289,13 @@ class PbuilderDist:
                 othermirrors.append('deb %s %s-proposed-updates %s'
                                     % (mirror, self.target_distro, components))
         else:
-            if self.target_distro == UbuntuDistroInfo().devel():
+            try:
+                dev_release = self.target_distro == UbuntuDistroInfo().devel()
+            except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+                Logger.warn(e)
+                dev_release = True
+
+            if dev_release:
                 self.enable_security = False
                 self.enable_updates = False
                 self.enable_proposed = False
diff --git a/pull-debian-source b/pull-debian-source
index 176cee9..36a9caf 100755
--- a/pull-debian-source
+++ b/pull-debian-source
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import sys
 import urllib2
 
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo
+from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.archive import DebianSourcePackage, DownloadError, rmadison
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ def is_suite(version):
 
 def source_package_for(binary, release):
     """Query DDE to find the source package for a particular binary"""
-    release = DebianDistroInfo().codename(release, default=release)
+    try:
+        release = DebianDistroInfo().codename(release, default=release)
+    except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+        Logger.warn(e)
     url = ('http://dde.debian.net/dde/q/udd/dist/d:debian/r:%s/p:%s/?t=json'
            % (release, binary))
     try:
diff --git a/pull-lp-source b/pull-lp-source
index 38efbef..bd3d48a 100755
--- a/pull-lp-source
+++ b/pull-lp-source
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import urllib2
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo
+from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.archive import UbuntuSourcePackage, DownloadError
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
@@ -89,7 +89,11 @@ def main():
     if len(args) > 1:  # Custom distribution specified.
         version = str(args[1])
     else:
-        version = os.getenv('DIST') or ubuntu_info.devel()
+        try:
+            version = os.getenv('DIST') or ubuntu_info.devel()
+        except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+            Logger.warn("%s\nOr specify a distribution.", e)
+            sys.exit(1)
     component = None
 
     # Release, not package version number:
diff --git a/requestsync b/requestsync
index c6b01c0..f5956b9 100755
--- a/requestsync
+++ b/requestsync
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import os
 import sys
 
 from debian.changelog import Version
-from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo
+from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig, ubu_email
 from ubuntutools.lp import udtexceptions
@@ -45,8 +45,11 @@ from ubuntutools.question import confirmation_prompt, EditBugReport
 def main():
     ubu_info = UbuntuDistroInfo()
     DEFAULT_SOURCE = 'unstable'
-    if ubu_info.is_lts(ubu_info.devel()):
-        DEFAULT_SOURCE = 'testing'
+    try:
+        if ubu_info.is_lts(ubu_info.devel()):
+            DEFAULT_SOURCE = 'testing'
+    except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+        print >> sys.stderr, str(e)
 
     # Our usage options.
     usage = ('Usage: %prog [options] '
diff --git a/reverse-depends b/reverse-depends
index d54857b..89d7ef0 100755
--- a/reverse-depends
+++ b/reverse-depends
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import optparse
 import sys
 
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
+from distro_info import DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.misc import (system_distribution, vendor_to_distroinfo,
                               codename_to_distribution)
@@ -26,15 +27,21 @@ from ubuntutools.rdepends import query_rdepends, RDependsException
 
 def main():
     system_distro_info = vendor_to_distroinfo(system_distribution())()
+    try:
+        default_release = system_distro_info.devel()
+    except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+        Logger.warn(e)
+        default_release = 'unstable'
+
     parser = optparse.OptionParser('%prog [options] package',
         description="List reverse-dependencies of package. "
                     "If the package name is prefixed with src: then the "
                     "reverse-dependencies of all the binary packages that "
                     "the specified source package builds will be listed.")
     parser.add_option('-r', '--release', metavar='RELEASE',
-                      default=system_distro_info.devel(),
+                      default=default_release,
                       help='Query dependencies in RELEASE. '
-                      'Default: %s' % system_distro_info.devel())
+                      'Default: %s' % default_release)
     parser.add_option('-R', '--without-recommends',
                       action='store_false', dest='recommends', default=True,
                       help='Only consider Depends relationships, '
@@ -76,8 +83,12 @@ def main():
     if not distribution:
         parser.error('Unknown release codename %s' % options.release)
     distro_info = vendor_to_distroinfo(distribution)()
-    options.release = distro_info.codename(options.release,
-                                           default=options.release)
+    try:
+        options.release = distro_info.codename(options.release,
+                                               default=options.release)
+    except DistroDataOutdated:
+        # We already printed a warning
+        pass
 
     try:
         data = query_rdepends(package, options.release, options.arch, **opts)
diff --git a/submittodebian b/submittodebian
index 6085bf4..d1fe8d5 100755
--- a/submittodebian
+++ b/submittodebian
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import shutil
 import sys
 from tempfile import mkdtemp
 
-from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo
+from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.config import ubu_email
 from ubuntutools.question import YesNoQuestion, EditFile
@@ -119,7 +119,11 @@ def check_file(fname, critical = True):
         sys.exit(1)
 
 def submit_bugreport(body, debdiff, deb_version, changelog):
-    devel = UbuntuDistroInfo().devel()
+    try:
+        devel = UbuntuDistroInfo().devel()
+    except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+        print str(e)
+        devel = ''
 
     if os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]).startswith('/usr/bin'):
         editor_path = '/usr/share/ubuntu-dev-tools'
diff --git a/syncpackage b/syncpackage
index acefbbe..e028cb6 100755
--- a/syncpackage
+++ b/syncpackage
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import urllib
 
 import debian.debian_support
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo
+from distro_info import UbuntuDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 from lazr.restfulclient.errors import HTTPError
 
 from ubuntutools.archive import (DebianSourcePackage, UbuntuSourcePackage,
@@ -294,7 +294,15 @@ def fetch_source_pkg(package, dist, version, component, ubuntu_release,
 
     if dist is None:
         ubu_info = UbuntuDistroInfo()
-        dist = 'testing' if ubu_info.is_lts(ubu_info.devel()) else 'unstable'
+        try:
+            if ubu_info.is_lts(ubu_info.devel()):
+                dist = 'testing'
+            else:
+                dist = 'unstable'
+        except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+            Logger.warn(e)
+            dist = 'unstable'
+
     requested_version = version
     if type(version) == str:
         version = Version(version)
diff --git a/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py b/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
index 7addb9c..70f1df1 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/requestsync/lp.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import re
 
 from debian.deb822 import Changes
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo
+from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 from httplib2 import Http, HttpLib2Error
 
 from ubuntutools.lp.lpapicache import (Launchpad, Distribution, PersonTeam,
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ def get_debian_srcpkg(name, release):
     debian = Distribution('debian')
     debian_archive = debian.getArchive()
 
-    release = DebianDistroInfo().codename(release, None, release)
+    try:
+        release = DebianDistroInfo().codename(release, None, release)
+    except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+        Logger.warn(e)
 
     return debian_archive.getSourcePackage(name, release)
 
diff --git a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
index 1d94876..9b78884 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/requestsync/mail.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import tempfile
 
 from debian.changelog import Changelog, Version
 from devscripts.logger import Logger
-from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo
+from distro_info import DebianDistroInfo, DistroDataOutdated
 
 from ubuntutools.archive import rmadison, FakeSPPH
 from ubuntutools.question import confirmation_prompt, YesNoQuestion
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ def _get_srcpkg(distro, name, release):
     if distro == 'debian':
         # Canonicalise release:
         debian_info = DebianDistroInfo()
-        release = debian_info.codename(release, default=release)
+        try:
+            release = debian_info.codename(release, default=release)
+        except DistroDataOutdated, e:
+            Logger.warn(e)
 
     lines = list(rmadison(distro, name, suite=release, arch='source'))
     if not lines: