diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index f318102d..f5e151cc 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-fail2ban (0.8.1-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
+fail2ban (0.8.1-1~pre1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
 
   * (NOT RELEASED YET) New upstream release.
      Patches absorbed upstream:
diff --git a/debian/jail.conf b/debian/jail.conf
index 61f4a41f..7053c6fd 100644
--- a/debian/jail.conf
+++ b/debian/jail.conf
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ destemail = root@localhost
 # section within jail.local file
 banaction = iptables-multiport
 
+# email action. Since 0.8.1 upstream fail2ban uses sendmail
+# MTA for the mailing. Change mta configuration parameter to mail
+# if you want to revert to conventional 'mail'.
+mta = sendmail
 
 # Default protocol
 protocol = tcp
@@ -55,12 +59,12 @@ action_ = %(banaction)s[name=%(__name__)s, port="%(port)s", protocol="%(protocol
 
 # ban & send an e-mail with whois report to the destemail.
 action_mw = %(banaction)s[name=%(__name__)s, port="%(port)s", protocol="%(protocol)s]
-              mail-whois[name=%(__name__)s, dest="%(destemail)s", protocol="%(protocol)s]
+              %(mta)s-whois[name=%(__name__)s, dest="%(destemail)s", protocol="%(protocol)s]
 
 # ban & send an e-mail with whois report and relevant log lines
 # to the destemail.
 action_mwl = %(banaction)s[name=%(__name__)s, port="%(port)s", protocol="%(protocol)s]
-               mail-whois-lines[name=%(__name__)s, dest="%(destemail)s", logpath=%(logpath)s]
+               %(mta)s-whois-lines[name=%(__name__)s, dest="%(destemail)s", logpath=%(logpath)s]
  
 # Choose default action.  To change, just override value of 'action' with the
 # interpolation to the chosen action shortcut (e.g.  action_mw, action_mwl, etc) in jail.local
@@ -72,7 +76,7 @@ action = %(action_)s
 #
 
 # Next jails corresponds to the standard configuration in Fail2ban 0.6 which
-# was shipped in Debian. Please enable any defined here jail by including
+# was shipped in Debian. Enable any defined here jail by including
 #
 # [SECTION_NAME] 
 # enabled = true