diff --git a/contrib/packaging/builddeb b/contrib/packaging/builddeb
--- a/contrib/packaging/builddeb
+++ b/contrib/packaging/builddeb
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
         exit 1
     fi
 
-    cp -r "$PWD"/contrib/debian debian
+    cp -r "$PWD"/contrib/packaging/debian debian
 
     sed -i.tmp "s/__VERSION__/$debver/" $changelog
     sed -i.tmp "s/__DATE__/$(date --rfc-2822)/" $changelog
diff --git a/contrib/debian/cacerts.rc b/contrib/packaging/debian/cacerts.rc
rename from contrib/debian/cacerts.rc
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/cacerts.rc
diff --git a/contrib/debian/changelog b/contrib/packaging/debian/changelog
rename from contrib/debian/changelog
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/changelog
diff --git a/contrib/debian/compat b/contrib/packaging/debian/compat
rename from contrib/debian/compat
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/compat
diff --git a/contrib/debian/control b/contrib/packaging/debian/control
rename from contrib/debian/control
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/control
diff --git a/contrib/debian/copyright b/contrib/packaging/debian/copyright
rename from contrib/debian/copyright
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/copyright
diff --git a/contrib/debian/default-tools.rc b/contrib/packaging/debian/default-tools.rc
rename from contrib/debian/default-tools.rc
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/default-tools.rc
diff --git a/contrib/debian/hgkpath.rc b/contrib/packaging/debian/hgkpath.rc
rename from contrib/debian/hgkpath.rc
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/hgkpath.rc
diff --git a/contrib/debian/rules b/contrib/packaging/debian/rules
rename from contrib/debian/rules
rename to contrib/packaging/debian/rules
--- a/contrib/debian/rules
+++ b/contrib/packaging/debian/rules
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 	mkdir -p "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/usr/share/mercurial
 	cp contrib/hgk "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/usr/share/mercurial
 	mkdir -p "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/etc/mercurial/hgrc.d/
-	cp contrib/debian/*.rc "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/etc/mercurial/hgrc.d/
+	cp contrib/packaging/debian/*.rc "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/etc/mercurial/hgrc.d/
 	# completions
 	mkdir -p "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/usr/share/bash-completion/completions
 	cp contrib/bash_completion "$(CURDIR)"/debian/mercurial-common/usr/share/bash-completion/completions/hg
diff --git a/tests/hghave.py b/tests/hghave.py
--- a/tests/hghave.py
+++ b/tests/hghave.py
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@
        "debian build dependencies (run dpkg-checkbuilddeps in contrib/)")
 def has_debdeps():
     # just check exit status (ignoring output)
-    path = '%s/../contrib/debian/control' % os.environ['TESTDIR']
+    path = '%s/../contrib/packaging/debian/control' % os.environ['TESTDIR']
     return matchoutput('dpkg-checkbuilddeps %s' % path, br'')
 
 @check("demandimport", "demandimport enabled")