diff --git a/share/qtcreator/templates/shared/manifest.aegis b/share/qtcreator/templates/shared/manifest.aegis
index e584f96161e72c8c99027b530405b59071dbac13..c0d0dd9c4cef0ee91cc04a3e8e28d31c9f265867 100644
--- a/share/qtcreator/templates/shared/manifest.aegis
+++ b/share/qtcreator/templates/shared/manifest.aegis
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+AutoGenerateAegisFile
 <!-- Aegis manifest declares the security credentials required by an
      application to run correctly. By default, a manifest file will be
      created or updated automatically as a part of build.
@@ -9,9 +10,8 @@
 
      To create a manifest file automatically as a part of build (DEFAULT):
 
-      * You may leave this file as-is.
-      * Do not list any '<credential name="token" />' entries
-        outside of comments.
+      * Make sure this file starts with the string "AutoGenerateAegisFile" (without quotes).
+      * Alternatively, it can also be completely empty.
 
      To provide a manifest yourself:
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/madde/maemopackagecreationstep.cpp b/src/plugins/madde/maemopackagecreationstep.cpp
index 25e22da4f485aeb63cec9392cdf4862baee8b406..f95a0789e0421f64827f21beeb09be9d4daac816 100644
--- a/src/plugins/madde/maemopackagecreationstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/madde/maemopackagecreationstep.cpp
@@ -370,14 +370,8 @@ bool MaemoDebianPackageCreationStep::copyDebianFiles(bool inSourceBuild)
     foreach (const QString &fileName, files) {
         const QString srcFile = templatesDirPath + QLatin1Char('/') + fileName;
         QString newFileName = fileName;
-        if (newFileName == Qt4HarmattanTarget::aegisManifestFileName()) {
-            // If the user has touched the Aegis manifest file, we copy it for use
-            // by MADDE. Otherwise the required capabilities will be auto-detected,
-            // unless the user explicitly requests that no manifest should be created.
-            if (QFileInfo(srcFile).size() == 0)
-                continue;
+        if (newFileName == Qt4HarmattanTarget::aegisManifestFileName())
             newFileName = maemoTarget()->packageName() + QLatin1String(".aegis");
-        }
 
         const QString destFile = debianDirPath + QLatin1Char('/') + newFileName;
         if (fileName == QLatin1String("rules")) {
@@ -393,6 +387,9 @@ bool MaemoDebianPackageCreationStep::copyDebianFiles(bool inSourceBuild)
                     .arg(QDir::toNativeSeparators(srcFile), reader.errorString()));
                 return false;
             }
+
+            if (reader.data().isEmpty() || reader.data().startsWith("AutoGenerateAegisFile"))
+                continue;
             if (reader.data().startsWith("NoAegisFile")) {
                 QFile targetFile(destFile);
                 if (!targetFile.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly)) {