diff --git a/data/helpers.d/package b/data/helpers.d/package
index ccb0c44d0..c616105d1 100644
--- a/data/helpers.d/package
+++ b/data/helpers.d/package
@@ -123,7 +123,11 @@ ynh_install_app_dependencies () {
     if [ ! -e "$manifest_path" ]; then
     	manifest_path="../settings/manifest.json"	# Into the restore script, the manifest is not at the same place
     fi
+
     local version=$(grep '\"version\": ' "$manifest_path" | cut -d '"' -f 4)	# Retrieve the version number in the manifest file.
+    if [ ${#version} -eq 0 ]; then
+        version="1.0"
+    fi
     local dep_app=${app//_/-}	# Replace all '_' by '-'
 
     cat > /tmp/${dep_app}-ynh-deps.control << EOF	# Make a control file for equivs-build