diff --git a/src/new/debian.rs b/src/new/debian.rs
index 2f76c25..212793c 100644
--- a/src/new/debian.rs
+++ b/src/new/debian.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ pub const SOURCE_FORMAT_NATIVE: &str = "3.0 (native)";
 /// The three source formats pkh knows how to build.
 pub const KNOWN_SOURCE_FORMATS: [&str; 3] = [SOURCE_FORMAT_QUILT, SOURCE_FORMAT_NATIVE, "1.0"];
 
+/// Current Debian Policy version, written as the `Standards-Version` of the
+/// generated `debian/control` (mandatory in the source stanza per policy).
+/// Bump as policy evolves.
+pub const DEBIAN_POLICY_VERSION: &str = "4.7.4";
+
 /// Directory and file names excluded from the orig tarball, at any depth of
 /// the tree.
 const ORIG_EXCLUDE: &[&str] = &[
@@ -197,6 +202,7 @@ fn control(opts: &NewOptions, template: &dyn Template) -> OutputFile {
         opts.maintainer.0, opts.maintainer.1
     ));
     control.push_str("Rules-Requires-Root: no\n");
+    control.push_str(&format!("Standards-Version: {DEBIAN_POLICY_VERSION}\n"));
 
     let mut build_depends = vec!["debhelper-compat (= 13)".to_string()];
     build_depends.extend(template.build_depends(opts));
@@ -601,6 +607,10 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(parsed.source.get("Section"), Some("utils"));
         assert_eq!(parsed.source.get("Priority"), Some("optional"));
         assert_eq!(parsed.source.get("Rules-Requires-Root"), Some("no"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            parsed.source.get("Standards-Version"),
+            Some(DEBIAN_POLICY_VERSION)
+        );
         assert_eq!(
             parsed.source.get("Homepage"),
             Some("https://example.com/mytool")