diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7fb66342cce..6c2e5953b3e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ if (NOT DEVELOPER_BUILD)
     endif()
 endif()
 
-option(BUILD_DEBIAN_PACKAGE "Build debian package" OFF)
+option(BUILD_DEBIAN_PACKAGE "Build debian package" ON)
 # will work with cmake 3.22 and newer
 # https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/command/cmake_host_system_information.html
 if (BUILD_DEBIAN_PACKAGE)
diff --git a/cmake/Open3DPackaging.cmake b/cmake/Open3DPackaging.cmake
index a22f4915193..f024d3159d9 100644
--- a/cmake/Open3DPackaging.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Open3DPackaging.cmake
@@ -1,13 +1,7 @@
 # This is packaging for the Open3D library. See
 # cpp/apps/Open3DViewer/Debian/CMakeLists.txt for packaging the Debian Open3D
 # viewer
-if (BUILD_DEBIAN_PACKAGE)
-    set(CPACK_GENERATOR DEB)
-    set(CPACK_DEBIAN_FILE_NAME DEB-DEFAULT)
-    set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS YES)
-else()
-    set(CPACK_GENERATOR TXZ)
-endif()
+set(CPACK_GENERATOR TXZ)
 if(WIN32)
     set(CPACK_GENERATOR ZIP)
 endif()
@@ -39,4 +33,10 @@ set(CPACK_PACKAGE_FILE_NAME
     "open3d-devel-${_sys}-${OPEN3D_VERSION_FULL}")
 set(CPACK_THREADS 0)  # Use all cores for compressing package
 
+if (BUILD_DEBIAN_PACKAGE)
+    list(APPEND CPACK_GENERATOR DEB)
+    set(CPACK_DEBIAN_FILE_NAME DEB-DEFAULT)
+    set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_SHLIBDEPS YES)
+endif()
+
 include(CPack)