diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/sdist.py b/Lib/distutils/command/sdist.py
index 6de703ec928..9b9f6064c51 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/sdist.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/sdist.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ def read_template (self):
                              join_lines=1,
                              lstrip_ws=1,
                              rstrip_ws=1,
-                             collapse_ws=1)
+                             collapse_join=1)
 
         while 1:
             line = template.readline()