Don't invoke "dpkg --print-architecture" for every call to Dpkg::Arch::get_raw_build_arch(). diff -ru -x '*~' dpkg-1.16.9/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm dpkg-1.16.9-new/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm --- dpkg-1.16.9/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm 2012-10-20 06:34:17.000000000 +0200 +++ dpkg-1.16.9-new/scripts/Dpkg/Arch.pm 2012-12-04 19:42:20.451002537 +0100 @@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ # dpkg-architecture itself, by avoiding computing the DEB_BUILD_ # variables when they are not requested. - my $build_arch = `dpkg --print-architecture`; + $build_arch = `dpkg --print-architecture`; syserr("dpkg --print-architecture failed") if $? >> 8; chomp $build_arch;