diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 5f65f8a..c3d26a2 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -120,8 +120,16 @@ esac
 AM_CONDITIONAL(MINGW32, test "$MINGW32" = "yes")
 AM_CONDITIONAL(MAC, test "$MAC" = "yes")
 
+# author for signing packages
+if test -z "$PACKAGERID"; then
+   PACKAGERID="Marc Wäckerlin (http://marc.waeckerlin.org) <marc@waeckerlin.org>"
+fi
+AC_ARG_VAR(PACKAGERID, [Signature identification of the package author.])
+BUILDDATE=$(date --rfc-2822)
+
 # export macros
 SRCDIR=${srcdir}
+AC_SUBST(BUILDDATE)
 AC_SUBST(SRCDIR)
 AC_SUBST(SRC_DIR)
 AC_SUBST(TST_DIR)
diff --git a/debian/changelog.in b/debian/changelog.in
index 76063d8..1ed1ade 100644
--- a/debian/changelog.in
+++ b/debian/changelog.in
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@
 
   * See https://dev.marc.waeckerlin.org/projects/@PACKAGE@ for changes
 
- -- Marc Waeckerlin (SwissSign AG) <marc.waeckerlin@tech.swisssign.com>  Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:23:02 +0200
+ -- @PACKAGERID@  @BUILDDATE@