diff --git a/swh/loader/package/debian/loader.py b/swh/loader/package/debian/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/package/debian/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/package/debian/loader.py
@@ -72,13 +72,18 @@
     files = attr.ib(type=Dict[str, DebianFileMetadata])
     """Metadata of the files (.deb, .dsc, ...) of the package."""
     name = attr.ib(type=str)
-    full_version = attr.ib(type=str)
-    """eg. stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"""
+    intrinsic_version = attr.ib(type=str)
+    """eg. ``0.7.2-3``, while :attr:`version` would be ``stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3``"""
 
     @classmethod
     def from_metadata(
         cls, a_metadata: Dict[str, Any], url: str, version: str
     ) -> "DebianPackageInfo":
+        intrinsic_version = a_metadata["version"]
+        assert "/" in version and "/" not in intrinsic_version, (
+            version,
+            intrinsic_version,
+        )
         return cls(
             url=url,
             filename=None,
@@ -89,7 +94,7 @@
                 for (file_name, file_metadata) in a_metadata.get("files", {}).items()
             },
             name=a_metadata["name"],
-            full_version=a_metadata["version"],
+            intrinsic_version=intrinsic_version,
         )
 
     def extid(self) -> Optional[PartialExtID]:
@@ -228,7 +233,7 @@
 
         msg = (
             f"Synthetic release for Debian source package {p_info.name} "
-            f"version {p_info.full_version}\n"
+            f"version {p_info.intrinsic_version}\n"
         )
 
         author = prepare_person(intrinsic_metadata.changelog.person)
@@ -335,7 +340,7 @@
             if dsc_name:
                 raise DscCountError(
                     "Package %s_%s references several dsc files."
-                    % (p_info.name, p_info.version)
+                    % (p_info.name, p_info.intrinsic_version)
                 )
             dsc_url = fileinfo.uri
             dsc_name = filename
@@ -460,7 +465,7 @@
 
     return IntrinsicPackageMetadata(
         name=p_info.name,
-        version=str(p_info.version),
+        version=str(p_info.intrinsic_version),
         changelog=changelog,
         maintainers=maintainers,
     )
diff --git a/swh/loader/package/debian/tests/test_debian.py b/swh/loader/package/debian/tests/test_debian.py
--- a/swh/loader/package/debian/tests/test_debian.py
+++ b/swh/loader/package/debian/tests/test_debian.py
@@ -282,7 +282,9 @@
 
 def test_debian_download_package(datadir, tmpdir, requests_mock_datadir):
     tmpdir = str(tmpdir)  # py3.5 work around (LocalPath issue)
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
     all_hashes = download_package(p_info, tmpdir)
     assert all_hashes == {
         "cicero_0.7.2-3.diff.gz": {
@@ -325,7 +327,9 @@
 
 def test_debian_dsc_information_ok():
     fname = "cicero_0.7.2-3.dsc"
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
     dsc_url, dsc_name = dsc_information(p_info)
 
     assert dsc_url == PACKAGE_FILES["files"][fname]["uri"]
@@ -334,7 +338,9 @@
 
 def test_debian_dsc_information_not_found():
     fname = "cicero_0.7.2-3.dsc"
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
     p_info.files.pop(fname)
 
     dsc_url, dsc_name = dsc_information(p_info)
@@ -349,7 +355,9 @@
     for package_metadata in package_files["files"].values():
         del package_metadata["md5sum"]
 
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(package_files, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        package_files, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
 
     for debian_file_metadata in p_info.files.values():
         assert not debian_file_metadata.md5sum
@@ -362,7 +370,9 @@
         file_bytes = requests.get(package_metadata["uri"]).content
         package_metadata["sha1"] = hashlib.sha1(file_bytes).hexdigest()
 
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(package_files, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        package_files, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
 
     for debian_file_metadata in p_info.files.values():
         assert debian_file_metadata.sha1
@@ -371,7 +381,9 @@
 def test_debian_dsc_information_too_many_dsc_entries():
     # craft an extra dsc file
     fname = "cicero_0.7.2-3.dsc"
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
     data = p_info.files[fname]
     fname2 = fname.replace("cicero", "ciceroo")
     p_info.files[fname2] = data
@@ -388,7 +400,9 @@
     requests_mock_datadir, datadir, tmp_path
 ):
     tmp_path = str(tmp_path)  # py3.5 compat.
-    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="0.7.2-3")
+    p_info = DebianPackageInfo.from_metadata(
+        PACKAGE_FILES, url=URL, version="stretch/contrib/0.7.2-3"
+    )
 
     logger.debug("p_info: %s", p_info)