diff --git a/assets/packaging/deb/micro.postinst b/assets/packaging/deb/micro.postinst
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..5a24444a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/packaging/deb/micro.postinst
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+if [ "$1" = "configure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-upgrade" ]; then
+    update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/editor editor /usr/bin/micro 40 \
+      --slave /usr/share/man/man1/editor.1 editor.1 \
+      /usr/share/man/man1/micro.1
+fi
diff --git a/assets/packaging/deb/micro.prerm b/assets/packaging/deb/micro.prerm
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9999d9ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/packaging/deb/micro.prerm
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+if [ "$1" != "upgrade" ]; then
+    update-alternatives --remove editor /usr/bin/micro
+fi
diff --git a/tools/package-deb.sh b/tools/package-deb.sh
index 7f3b81bc..416b88f9 100755
--- a/tools/package-deb.sh
+++ b/tools/package-deb.sh
@@ -1 +1 @@
-fpm -s dir -t deb -p micro-$1-amd64.deb --name micro --license mit --version $1 --deb-recommends xclip --description "A modern and intuitive terminal-based text editor" ./micro=/usr/bin/micro ./assets/packaging/micro.1=/usr/share/man/man1/micro.1
+fpm -s dir -t deb -p micro-$1-amd64.deb --name micro --license mit --version $1 --deb-recommends xclip --description "A modern and intuitive terminal-based text editor" --after-install ./assets/packaging/deb/micro.postinst --before-remove ./assets/packaging/deb/micro.prerm ./micro=/usr/bin/micro ./assets/packaging/micro.1=/usr/share/man/man1/micro.1