diff --git a/bin/release b/bin/release
index cedb993d..de47ccff 100755
--- a/bin/release
+++ b/bin/release
@@ -22,8 +22,17 @@ p="release"
 grep -qs "^$p=0$" "$HOME/.screen-profiles/status" && exit 0
 
 if which lsb_release >/dev/null; then
-	echo $(lsb_release -s -i) $(lsb_release -s -r)
+	# If lsb_release is available, use it
+	if lsb_release -s -d | grep -qs "^Ubuntu .*\..*\..*$"; then
+		# Use the -d if an Ubuntu LTS
+		lsb_release -s -d
+	else
+		# But for other distros the description
+		# is too long, so build from -i and -r
+		echo $(lsb_release -s -i) $(lsb_release -s -r)
+	fi
 elif [ -r "/etc/issue" ]; then
+	# Otherwise, grab part of /etc/issue
 	head -n1 /etc/issue | awk '{print $1}'
 else
 	echo "Unknown"
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 47beed00..82278e8b 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ screen-profiles (1.41) unreleased; urgency=low
     get-orig-source
   * bin/release: determine release from /etc/issue if lsb-release not found;
     don't use fully qualified path for lsb_release as it seems this has moved
-    around (see Dapper)
+    around (see Dapper); for Ubuntu use -d, but use -r -i for other os's
   * licenses updated to GPLv3 (dropped "or later" clause)
   * screen-profiles-export: new script, for exporting a profile to systems
     where screen-profiles are not installed
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ screen-profiles (1.41) unreleased; urgency=low
   [ James Wilcox ]
   * bin/updates-available: support SUSE's zypper
 
- -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:05:56 -0500
+ -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:23:27 -0500
 
 screen-profiles (1.40-0ubuntu1) jaunty; urgency=low