diff --git a/scripts/create-mkdebian.sh b/scripts/create-mkdebian.sh
index fc2e4d46..5fc08b30 100644
--- a/scripts/create-mkdebian.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-mkdebian.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-export LANG=POSIX
-dir=`dirname $0`
-inifile="$1"
-. $dir/ini-tools.sh
-
 cfg_section()
 {
 	ini_section "$inifile" $@
@@ -15,6 +10,15 @@ cfg_value()
 	ini_value "$inifile" $@
 }
 
+# -- here we go
+
+echo "== running $0" "$@" >&2
+
+export LANG=POSIX
+dir=`dirname $0`
+inifile="$1"
+. $dir/ini-tools.sh
+
 cat << EOT
 format_depends()
 {
diff --git a/scripts/create-mkspec.sh b/scripts/create-mkspec.sh
index 22fd8f07..f9f1e7ad 100644
--- a/scripts/create-mkspec.sh
+++ b/scripts/create-mkspec.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-export LANG=POSIX
-dir=`dirname $0`
-inifile="$1"
-. $dir/ini-tools.sh
-
 cfg_section()
 {
 	ini_section "$inifile" $@
@@ -17,7 +12,7 @@ cfg_value()
 
 cfg_escape()
 {
-	sed 's/\$/\\$/g'
+	sed 's/\\/\\\\/g; s/\$/\\$/g; s/`/\\`/g'
 }
 
 _cat()
@@ -30,6 +25,15 @@ subpackages()
 	echo $SUBPACKAGES
 }
 
+# -- here we go
+
+echo "== running $0" "$@" >&2
+
+export LANG=POSIX
+dir=`dirname $0`
+inifile="$1"
+. $dir/ini-tools.sh
+
 LICENSE=`cfg_value global.license`
 [ "$LICENSE" ] || LICENSE="janware GmbH proprietary license"
 SUBPACKAGES=`cfg_value global.subpackages`
@@ -134,4 +138,3 @@ fi
 		_cat << EOT
 	|echo '%defattr (-, root, root)'
 EOT
-