diff --git a/bin/release b/bin/release
index 97dbd415..8b583b70 100755
--- a/bin/release
+++ b/bin/release
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@
 
 if which lsb_release >/dev/null; then
 	# If lsb_release is available, use it
-	if lsb_release -s -d | grep -qs "^Ubuntu .*\..*\..*$"; then
+	r=$(lsb_release -s -d)
+	if echo "$r" | grep -qs "^Ubuntu .*\..*\..*$"; then
 		# Use the -d if an Ubuntu LTS
-		r=$(lsb_release -s -d)
 		printf "\005{=b }%s\005{-} " "$r"
 	else
 		# But for other distros the description
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c1bef218..cc03460d 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ screen-profiles (1.45) unreleased; urgency=low
   * screen-profiles-status: use home bin scripts, if available first,
     then fallback to system-wide, allows for local overrides
   * bin/*: route and ifconfig are in /sbin, fully qualify
+  * bin/release: eliminate one expensive lsb_release call
 
   [ Jon Bernard <bernardj@gmail.com> ]
   * debian/control: fix typo in screen-profiles-extras description
 
- -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:37:21 -0500
+ -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:42:52 -0500
 
 screen-profiles (1.44-0ubuntu1) jaunty; urgency=low