diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index d5364348596..5e27e285487 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -161,13 +161,17 @@ def deb_common(config, name, extra: '')
       s.privileged = false
       s.inline = "sudo sed -i '/tty/!s/mesg n/tty -s \\&\\& mesg n/' /root/.profile"
   end
+  extra_with_lintian = <<-SHELL
+    install lintian
+    #{extra}
+  SHELL
   linux_common(
     config,
     name,
     update_command: 'apt-get update',
     update_tracking_file: '/var/cache/apt/archives/last_update',
     install_command: 'apt-get install -y',
-    extra: extra
+    extra: extra_with_lintian
   )
 end
 
diff --git a/distribution/packages/build.gradle b/distribution/packages/build.gradle
index 72804c7a907..136803a5d83 100644
--- a/distribution/packages/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/packages/build.gradle
@@ -270,13 +270,13 @@ apply plugin: 'nebula.ospackage-base'
 // this is package indepdendent configuration
 ospackage {
   maintainer 'Elasticsearch Team <info@elastic.co>'
-  summary '''
-    Elasticsearch is a distributed RESTful search engine built for the cloud.
+  summary 'Distributed RESTful search engine built for the cloud'
+  packageDescription '''
     Reference documentation can be found at
     https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/index.html
     and the 'Elasticsearch: The Definitive Guide' book can be found at
     https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/guide/current/index.html
-    '''.stripIndent().replace('\n', ' ').trim()
+  '''.stripIndent().trim()
   url 'https://www.elastic.co/'
 
   // signing setup
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@ ospackage {
             new File(new File(System.getProperty('user.home'), '.gnupg'), 'secring.gpg')
   }
 
-  requires('coreutils')
+  // version found on oldest supported distro, centos-6
+  requires('coreutils', '8.4', GREATER | EQUAL)
 
   fileMode 0644
   dirMode 0755
@@ -312,12 +313,18 @@ Closure commonDebConfig(boolean oss, boolean jdk) {
 
     version = project.version.replace('-', '~')
     packageGroup 'web'
-    requires 'bash'
+
+    // versions found on oldest supported distro, centos-6
+    requires('bash', '4.1', GREATER | EQUAL)
+    requires('lsb-base', '4', GREATER | EQUAL)
     requires 'libc6'
     requires 'adduser'
 
     into('/usr/share/lintian/overrides') {
       from('src/deb/lintian/elasticsearch')
+      if (oss) {
+        rename('elasticsearch', 'elasticsearch-oss')
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/distribution/packages/src/deb/lintian/elasticsearch b/distribution/packages/src/deb/lintian/elasticsearch
index 1ca52eaed28..98038177a00 100644
--- a/distribution/packages/src/deb/lintian/elasticsearch
+++ b/distribution/packages/src/deb/lintian/elasticsearch
@@ -1,8 +1,48 @@
-# Ignore arch dependent warnings, we chose the right libs on start
-elasticsearch binary: arch-independent-package-contains-binary-or-object
-# Not stripping external libraries
-elasticsearch binary: unstripped-binary-or-object
-# Ignore arch dependent warnings, we chose the right libs on start
-elasticsearch binary: arch-dependent-file-in-usr-share
-# Please check our changelog at http://www.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch
-elasticsearch binary: changelog-file-missing-in-native-package
+# we don't have a changelog, but we put our copyright file
+# under /usr/share/doc/elasticsearch, which triggers this warning
+changelog-file-missing-in-native-package
+
+# we intentionally copy our copyright file for all deb packages
+copyright-file-contains-full-apache-2-license
+copyright-should-refer-to-common-license-file-for-apache-2
+copyright-without-copyright-notice
+
+# we still put all our files under /usr/share/elasticsearch even after transition to platform dependent packages
+arch-dependent-file-in-usr-share
+
+# we have a bundled jdk, so don't use jarwrapper
+missing-dep-on-jarwrapper
+
+# we prefer to not make our config and log files world readable
+non-standard-file-perm etc/default/elasticsearch 0660 != 0644
+non-standard-dir-perm etc/elasticsearch/ 2750 != 0755
+non-standard-file-perm etc/elasticsearch/*
+non-standard-dir-perm var/lib/elasticsearch/ 2750 != 0755
+non-standard-dir-perm var/log/elasticsearch/ 2750 != 0755
+executable-is-not-world-readable etc/init.d/elasticsearch 0750
+non-standard-file-permissions-for-etc-init.d-script etc/init.d/elasticsearch 0750 != 0755
+
+# this lintian tag is simply wrong; contrary to the explanation, debian systemd
+# does actually look at /usr/lib/systemd/system
+systemd-service-file-outside-lib usr/lib/systemd/system/elasticsearch.service
+
+# we do not automatically enable the service in init.d or systemd
+script-in-etc-init.d-not-registered-via-update-rc.d etc/init.d/elasticsearch
+
+# the package scripts handle init.d/systemd directly and don't need to use deb helpers
+maintainer-script-calls-systemctl
+prerm-calls-updaterc.d elasticsearch
+
+# bundled JDK
+embedded-library
+arch-dependent-file-in-usr-share usr/share/elasticsearch/jdk/*
+unstripped-binary-or-object usr/share/elasticsearch/jdk/*
+extra-license-file usr/share/elasticsearch/jdk/legal/*
+hardening-no-pie usr/share/elasticsearch/jdk/bin/*
+hardening-no-pie usr/share/elasticsearch/jdk/lib/*
+
+# the system java version that lintian assumes is far behind what elasticsearch uses
+unknown-java-class-version
+
+# elastic licensed modules contain elastic license
+extra-license-file usr/share/elasticsearch/modules/*
diff --git a/qa/vagrant/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java b/qa/vagrant/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
index 0408a03ca26..b6e26672f47 100644
--- a/qa/vagrant/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
+++ b/qa/vagrant/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Packages.startElasticsearch;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Packages.stopElasticsearch;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Packages.verifyPackageInstallation;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Platforms.getOsRelease;
+import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Platforms.isDPKG;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.Platforms.isSystemd;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.ServerUtils.makeRequest;
 import static org.elasticsearch.packaging.util.ServerUtils.runElasticsearchTests;
@@ -78,6 +79,11 @@ public abstract class PackageTestCase extends PackagingTestCase {
         sh = newShell();
     }
 
+    public void test05CheckLintian() throws Exception {
+        assumeTrue(isDPKG());
+        sh.run("lintian --fail-on-warnings " + FileUtils.getDistributionFile(distribution()));
+    }
+
     public void test10InstallPackage() throws Exception {
         assertRemoved(distribution());
         installation = install(distribution());