diff --git a/build-debs b/build-debs
index cfdac36cf..4c6e626f3 100755
--- a/build-debs
+++ b/build-debs
@@ -1,13 +1,27 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/bash
 # Accepts directories to build packages from on the commandline, but defaults
-# to building: perl-xCAT-2.0 and xCAT-client-2.0
+# to building: perl-xCAT and xCAT-client
+
+major="2.1"
+lintian="" # TODO: lintian fails currently
+#lintian="--svn-lintian"
+
+if [ "$1" = "-s" ]; then
+  shift
+  snap=true
+  date="$( date +'%F' )"
+  version="$major-snapshot-$( date +'%Y%m%d' )"
+fi
 
 packages="${@:-perl-xCAT xCAT-client}"
 
 for pkg in $packages; do
   mkdir -p debs/$pkg
-  echo Building .dsc source package for $pkg
+  echo "*** Building Debian package for $pkg."
   cd $pkg
-  svn-buildpackage --svn-ignore --svn-lintian --svn-move-to=../debs/$pkg
+  if $snap; then
+    debchange --distribution unstable --newversion $version "snapshot of $pkg from $date"
+  fi
+  svn-buildpackage --svn-ignore $lintian --svn-move-to=../debs/$pkg
   cd -
 done