diff --git a/bin/xen-create-image b/bin/xen-create-image
index 8df122c..37a079f 100755
--- a/bin/xen-create-image
+++ b/bin/xen-create-image
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ xen-create-image - Easily create new Xen instances with networking and OpenSSH.
    --copy-cmd   NOP:  Ignored.
 
    --debootstrap-cmd
-                Specify which debootstrap command is used, either
-                debootstrap (default) or cdebootstrap.
+                Specify which debootstrap command is used. Defaults to
+                debootstrap if both, debootstrap and cdebootstrap are
+                installed.
 
    --force      Force overwriting existing images. This will remove
                 existing images or LVM volumes which match those which
diff --git a/bin/xt-install-image b/bin/xt-install-image
index 599acbf..537ac2b 100755
--- a/bin/xt-install-image
+++ b/bin/xt-install-image
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ xt-install-image - Install a fresh copy of GNU/Linux into a directory
   Installation Options:
    --install-method  Specify the installation method to use.
    --install-source  Specify the installation source to use.
-   --debootstrap-cmd Specify which debootstrap command to use.
+   --debootstrap-cmd Specify which debootstrap command to
+                     use. Defaults to debootstrap if both, debootstrap
+                     and cdebootstrap are installed.
 
   All other options from xen-create-image will be passed as environmental
  variables.
@@ -690,8 +692,15 @@ sub do_debootstrap
     my $cmd = $CONFIG{ 'debootstrap-cmd' };
     if ( !$cmd )
     {
-        print "Falling back to default debootstrap command\n";
-        $cmd = '/usr/sbin/debootstrap';
+	if (-x '/usr/sbin/debootstrap') {
+	    $cmd = '/usr/sbin/debootstrap';
+	} elsif (-x '/usr/sbin/cdebootstrap') {
+	    $cmd = '/usr/sbin/cdebootstrap';
+	} else {
+	    print STDERR "Found neither debootstrap nor cdebootstrap and no --debootstrap-cmd given\n";
+	    exit 1;
+	}
+	print "Using $cmd as debootstrap command\n";
     }
 
 
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index d920159..f80388a 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ xen-tools (4.2~rc1-1) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
     - The debootstrap command now also can be configured on the
       commandline with --debootstrap-cmd in xen-create-image and
       xt-install-image (Enhances fix for #436480 which added the
-      debootstrap-cmd config file option; Changed "Depends: debootstrap"
-      to "Depends: debootstrap | cdebootstrap" in debian/control)
+      debootstrap-cmd config file option)
+    - Checks for debootstrap and cdebootstrap, uses debootstrap if both
+      are installed (Changed "Depends: debootstrap" to "Depends:
+      debootstrap | cdebootstrap" in debian/control)
   * Removal of /etc/bash_completion.d/xm from the package since
     bash-completion ships a more elaborate version of that file. (Closes:
     #566683, #550590, LP: #538917, #484098)