diff --git a/bin/make-base-vm b/bin/make-base-vm
index 10f1db0..056072a 100755
--- a/bin/make-base-vm
+++ b/bin/make-base-vm
@@ -107,15 +107,18 @@ fi
 
 addpkg=pciutils,build-essential,git-core,subversion,$LOCALE_PKG,wget,lsb-release
 
-KERNEL_PKG=linux-image-generic
-if [ $DISTRO = "debian" ]; then
-  KERNEL_PKG=
+if [ $DISTRO = "ubuntu" ]; then
+  # Need comma at end to work around an issue with apt for Debian <= Squeeze regarding empty strings
+  # https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=744940
+  # http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/apt/apt.git/commit/?h=1.0.3&id=d99854cac4065bc7b337815fb2116269d58dab73
+  KERNEL_PKG=linux-image-generic,
 fi
 
 if [ $LXC = "1" ]; then
   addpkg=$addpkg,lxc
 else
-  addpkg=$addpkg,$KERNEL_PKG,grub-pc,openssh-server
+  # Lack of comma after KERNEL_PKG is not a typo
+  addpkg=$addpkg,${KERNEL_PKG}grub-pc,openssh-server
 fi
 
 # Remove cron to work around vmbuilder issue when umounting /dev on target