diff --git a/include/xbps_api.h b/include/xbps_api.h
index b0564c4c..7846fe80 100644
--- a/include/xbps_api.h
+++ b/include/xbps_api.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
  * @def XBPS_RELVER
  * Current library release date.
  */
-#define XBPS_RELVER		"20110127"
+#define XBPS_RELVER		"20110128"
 
 /** 
  * @def XBPS_META_PATH
@@ -460,6 +460,22 @@ prop_dictionary_t xbps_find_pkg_dict_from_plist_by_name(const char *plist,
 prop_dictionary_t xbps_find_pkg_dict_installed(const char *str,
 					       bool bypattern);
 
+/**
+ * Finds a virtual package by looking at package's dictionary by
+ * using a package name or a package pattern.
+ *
+ * @param[in] pkgd Package dictionary.
+ * @param[in] str Virtual package name or package pattern.
+ * @param[in] bypattern If true, \a str should be a package name,
+ * otherwise it should be a package pattern.
+ *
+ * @return True if package dictionary matches the virtual package
+ * name or pattern, false otherwise.
+ */
+bool xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(prop_dictionary_t pkgd,
+				   const char *str,
+				   bool bypattern);
+
 /**
  * Finds a package name matching an string object in a proplib array.
  *
diff --git a/lib/plist.c b/lib/plist.c
index 0ea9426d..db2abf1e 100644
--- a/lib/plist.c
+++ b/lib/plist.c
@@ -233,10 +233,10 @@ out:
 	return rpkgd;
 }
 
-static bool
-find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(prop_dictionary_t d,
-			 const char *str,
-			 bool bypattern)
+bool
+xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(prop_dictionary_t d,
+			      const char *str,
+			      bool bypattern)
 {
 	prop_array_t provides;
 	bool found = false;
@@ -273,14 +273,14 @@ find_pkg_in_dict(prop_dictionary_t d,
 			    "pkgver", &pkgver);
 			if (xbps_pkgpattern_match(pkgver, __UNCONST(str)))
 				break;
-			if (find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, str, true))
+			if (xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, str, true))
 				break;
 		} else {
 			prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj,
 			    "pkgname", &dpkgn);
 			if (strcmp(dpkgn, str) == 0)
 				break;
-			if (find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, str, false))
+			if (xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(obj, str, false))
 				break;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c b/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
index 20f30eaa..92a48d81 100644
--- a/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
+++ b/lib/transaction_sortdeps.c
@@ -63,9 +63,14 @@ pkgdep_find(const char *name)
 {
 	struct pkgdep *pd = NULL;
 
-	TAILQ_FOREACH(pd, &pkgdep_list, pkgdep_entries)
+	TAILQ_FOREACH(pd, &pkgdep_list, pkgdep_entries) {
 		if (strcmp(pd->name, name) == 0)
 			return pd;
+		if (pd->d == NULL)
+			continue;
+		if (xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(pd->d, name, false))
+			return pd;
+	}
 
 	/* not found */
 	return NULL;
@@ -80,6 +85,10 @@ pkgdep_find_idx(const char *name)
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(pd, &pkgdep_list, pkgdep_entries) {
 		if (strcmp(pd->name, name) == 0)
 			return idx;
+		if (pd->d == NULL)
+			continue;
+		if (xbps_find_virtual_pkg_in_dict(pd->d, name, false))
+			return idx;
 
 		idx++;
 	}