diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index de6fb6b..dab1ca6 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,10 +16,15 @@ install-exec-hook:
 
 config.status: Makefile.iptrules.in
 
+tmpdir := $(shell mktemp -dtu)
+packer  = xz
+packext = .tar.xz
+
 .PHONY: tarball
 tarball:
-	rm -Rf /tmp/xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION};
-	pushd ${top_srcdir} && git archive --prefix=xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION}/ HEAD | tar -C /tmp -x && popd;
-	pushd /tmp/xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION} && ./autogen.sh && popd;
-	tar -C /tmp -cjf xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION}.tar.bz2 --owner=root --group=root xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION}/;
-	rm -Rf /tmp/xtables-addons-${PACKAGE_VERSION};
+# do not use mkdir_p here.
+	mkdir ${tmpdir}
+	pushd ${top_srcdir} && git archive --prefix=${PACKAGE_NAME}-${PACKAGE_VERSION}/ HEAD | tar -C ${tmpdir} -x && popd;
+	pushd ${tmpdir}/${PACKAGE_NAME}-${PACKAGE_VERSION} && ./autogen.sh && popd;
+	tar --use=${packer} -C ${tmpdir} -cf ${PACKAGE_NAME}-${PACKAGE_VERSION}${packext} --owner=root --group=root ${PACKAGE_NAME}-${PACKAGE_VERSION}/;
+	rm -Rf ${tmpdir};
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 07cc421..3184437 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-AC_INIT([xtables-addons], [1.26])
+AC_INIT([xtables-addons], [1.27])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
diff --git a/doc/changelog.txt b/doc/changelog.txt
index 119af90..49bc027 100644
--- a/doc/changelog.txt
+++ b/doc/changelog.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ HEAD
 ====
 
 
+Xtables-addons 1.27 (May 16 2010)
+=================================
+- further updates for the upcoming 2.6.35 changes
+
+
 Xtables-addons 1.26 (April 30 2010)
 ===================================
 - compat_xtables: fix 2.6.34 compile error due to a typo
diff --git a/xtables-addons.8.in b/xtables-addons.8.in
index 833420c..b78e0ac 100644
--- a/xtables-addons.8.in
+++ b/xtables-addons.8.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH xtables-addons 8 "v1.26 (2010-04-30)" "" "v1.26 (2010-04-30)"
+.TH xtables-addons 8 "v1.27 (2010-05-16)" "" "v1.27 (2010-05-16)"
 .SH Name
 Xtables-addons \(em additional extensions for iptables, ip6tables, etc.
 .SH Targets