diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index cb5d727..5bdfb85 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ ubuntu-dev-tools (0.134) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     - Always display blacklist comments, if they exist.
     - Display timestamps for DSD blacklist comments.
     - Add --fakesync option, relegating --no-lp to really crazy corner cases.
+  * sponsor-patch: Compare new sync version to the current Ubuntu version,
+    rather than itself (LP: #878499)
 
   [ Benjamin Drung ]
   * syncpackage: Catch user abort.
diff --git a/ubuntutools/sponsor_patch/sponsor_patch.py b/ubuntutools/sponsor_patch/sponsor_patch.py
index fce896d..dbab4a1 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/sponsor_patch/sponsor_patch.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/sponsor_patch/sponsor_patch.py
@@ -263,7 +263,8 @@ def sponsor_patch(bug_number, build, builder, edit, keyid, lpinstance, update,
 
         if successful:
             source_package.check_sync_request_version(bug_number, task)
-            successful = source_package.check_version(task.get_version())
+            successful = source_package.check_version(
+                    task.get_previous_version())
 
         if successful and build:
             dist = UbuntuDistroInfo().devel()