diff --git a/scripts/package/mkdebian b/scripts/package/mkdebian
index 589f92b88c42..83c6636fadb8 100755
--- a/scripts/package/mkdebian
+++ b/scripts/package/mkdebian
@@ -125,21 +125,15 @@ gen_source ()
 rm -rf debian
 mkdir debian
 
-email=${DEBEMAIL}
-
-# use email string directly if it contains <email>
-if echo "${email}" | grep -q '<.*>'; then
-	maintainer=${email}
+user=${KBUILD_BUILD_USER-$(id -nu)}
+name=${DEBFULLNAME-${user}}
+if [ "${DEBEMAIL:+set}" ]; then
+	email=${DEBEMAIL}
 else
-	# or construct the maintainer string
-	user=${KBUILD_BUILD_USER-$(id -nu)}
-	name=${DEBFULLNAME-${user}}
-	if [ -z "${email}" ]; then
-		buildhost=${KBUILD_BUILD_HOST-$(hostname -f 2>/dev/null || hostname)}
-		email="${user}@${buildhost}"
-	fi
-	maintainer="${name} <${email}>"
+	buildhost=${KBUILD_BUILD_HOST-$(hostname -f 2>/dev/null || hostname)}
+	email="${user}@${buildhost}"
 fi
+maintainer="${name} <${email}>"
 
 if [ "$1" = --need-source ]; then
 	gen_source