diff --git a/cabal-debian.cabal b/cabal-debian.cabal
--- a/cabal-debian.cabal
+++ b/cabal-debian.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:  3.0
 Name:           cabal-debian
-Version:        5.4.0
+Version:        5.4.1
 Copyright:      Copyright (c) 2007-2014, David Fox, Jeremy Shaw; 2017-2025 Clint Adams
 License:        BSD-3-Clause
 License-File:   LICENSE
diff --git a/src/Debian/Debianize/InputDebian.hs b/src/Debian/Debianize/InputDebian.hs
--- a/src/Debian/Debianize/InputDebian.hs
+++ b/src/Debian/Debianize/InputDebian.hs
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@
 readInstall :: Monad m => BinPkgName -> Text -> DebianT m ()
 readInstall p line =
     case break isSpace line of
-      (_, b) | null b -> error $ "readInstall: syntax error in .install file for " ++ show p ++ ": " ++ show line
+      (a, b) | null b -> install p (unpack (strip a)) (unpack (strip a))
       (a, b) -> install p (unpack (strip a)) (unpack (strip b))
 
 -- | Read a line from a debian .dirs file
diff --git a/src/Debian/Policy.hs b/src/Debian/Policy.hs
--- a/src/Debian/Policy.hs
+++ b/src/Debian/Policy.hs
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@
       parseDebianVersion'' "" = Nothing
       parseDebianVersion'' s = Just (parseDebianVersion' s)
 
--- | With the current state of CDBS, anything above 10 breaks, so
--- for now we force this to 10.
+-- | 13 is the current usual compat level
+-- see https://trends.debian.net/.
 getDebhelperCompatLevel :: IO (Maybe Int)
 getDebhelperCompatLevel = return (Just 13)