diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9e5040f..6270dd5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ docker-image:
 itest: itest_lucid itest_precise itest_trusty itest_wheezy itest_jessie itest_stretch
 
 itest_lucid: builddeb-docker
-	docker run -v $(PWD):/mnt:ro ubuntu:lucid $(DOCKER_TEST)
+	docker run -v $(PWD):/mnt:ro ubuntu:lucid \
+		sh -ec "apt-get -y install timeout; $(DOCKER_TEST)"
 
 itest_precise: builddeb-docker
 	docker run -v $(PWD):/mnt:ro ubuntu:precise $(DOCKER_TEST)
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index cbe925d..483d681 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/make -f
 %:
 	dh $@
+
+override_dh_builddeb:
+	dh_builddeb -- -Zgzip
diff --git a/test/test b/test/test
index 8f148b5..7715df7 100755
--- a/test/test
+++ b/test/test
@@ -7,16 +7,18 @@
 # (piping spawns additional subshells and makes it hard to get the right PID)
 fifo=$(mktemp -u)
 mkfifo -m 600 "$fifo"
+read_cmd="timeout 1 head -n1 $fifo"
+
 dumb-init ./print-signals "$fifo" &
 pid="$!"
 
 # Wait for `print-signals` to indicate it's ready.
-head -n1 "$fifo" > /dev/null
+$read_cmd > /dev/null
 
 for expected in $(catchable_signals); do
 	kill -s "$expected" "$pid"
 	echo -n "Sent signal ${expected}... "
-	received=$(timeout 1 head -n1 "$fifo") || {
+	received=$($read_cmd) || {
 		echo
 		echo "Error: Didn't receive signal within 1 second."
 		exit 1