diff --git a/lib/transaction_ops.c b/lib/transaction_ops.c
index c7c4e05e..1d15a8c9 100644
--- a/lib/transaction_ops.c
+++ b/lib/transaction_ops.c
@@ -224,6 +224,67 @@ trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool reinstall,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Returns 1 if there's an update, 0 if none or -1 on error.
+ */
+static int
+xbps_autoupdate(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
+{
+	xbps_array_t rdeps;
+	xbps_dictionary_t pkgd;
+	const char *pkgver;
+	char *pkgname;
+	int rv;
+
+	/*
+	 * Check if there's a new update for XBPS before starting
+	 * another transaction.
+	 */
+	if (((pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg(xhp, "xbps")) == NULL) &&
+	    ((pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkg(xhp, "xbps")) == NULL))
+		return 0;
+
+	xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgd, "pkgver", &pkgver);
+	pkgname = xbps_pkg_name(pkgver);
+	assert(pkgname);
+
+	rv = trans_find_pkg(xhp, pkgname, false, false);
+	free(pkgname);
+
+	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: trans_find_pkg xbps: %d\n", __func__, rv);
+
+	if (rv == 0) {
+		/* a new xbps version is available, check its revdeps */
+		rdeps = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg_revdeps(xhp, "xbps");
+		for (unsigned int i = 0; i < xbps_array_count(rdeps); i++)  {
+			const char *curpkgver;
+			char *curpkgn;
+
+			xbps_array_get_cstring_nocopy(rdeps, i, &curpkgver);
+			xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: processing revdep %s\n", __func__, curpkgver);
+
+			curpkgn = xbps_pkg_name(curpkgver);
+			assert(curpkgn);
+			rv = trans_find_pkg(xhp, curpkgn, false, false);
+			free(curpkgn);
+			xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: trans_find_pkg revdep %s: %d\n", __func__, curpkgver, rv);
+			if (rv && rv != ENOENT && rv != EEXIST && rv != ENODEV)
+				return -1;
+
+			rv = 0;
+		}
+		return 1;
+	} else if (rv == ENOENT || rv == EEXIST || rv == ENODEV) {
+		/* no update */
+		return 0;
+	} else {
+		/* error */
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 xbps_transaction_update_packages(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 {
@@ -235,52 +296,16 @@ xbps_transaction_update_packages(struct xbps_handle *xhp)
 	bool hold, newpkg_found = false;
 	int rv = 0;
 
-	if ((rv = xbps_pkgdb_init(xhp)) != 0)
-		return rv;
-
-	/*
-	 * Check if there's a new update for XBPS before starting
-	 * a full system upgrade.
-	 */
-	if ((pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg(xhp, "xbps")) ||
-	    (pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkg(xhp, "xbps"))) {
-		xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgd, "pkgver", &pkgver);
-		pkgname = xbps_pkg_name(pkgver);
-		assert(pkgname);
-
-		rv = trans_find_pkg(xhp, pkgname, false, false);
-		free(pkgname);
-
-		xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: trans_find_pkg xbps: %d\n", __func__, rv);
-
-		if (rv == 0) {
-			/* new version found, take into account its revdeps */
-			xbps_array_t rdeps;
-
-			rdeps = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg_revdeps(xhp, "xbps");
-			for (unsigned int i = 0; i < xbps_array_count(rdeps); i++)  {
-				const char *curpkgver;
-				char *curpkgn;
-
-				xbps_array_get_cstring_nocopy(rdeps, i, &curpkgver);
-				curpkgn = xbps_pkg_name(curpkgver);
-				assert(curpkgn);
-				rv = trans_find_pkg(xhp, curpkgn, false, false);
-				free(curpkgn);
-				if (rv && rv != ENOENT && rv != EEXIST && rv != ENODEV)
-					return rv;
-
-				rv = 0;
-			}
-
-			return rv;
-		} else if (rv == ENOENT || rv == EEXIST || rv == ENODEV) {
-			/* no update */
-			;
-		} else {
-			/* error */
-			return rv;
-		}
+	rv = xbps_autoupdate(xhp);
+	switch (rv) {
+	case 1:
+		/* xbps needs to be updated, don't add any other package */
+		return 0;
+	case -1:
+		/* error */
+		return EINVAL;
+	default:
+		break;
 	}
 
 	iter = xbps_dictionary_iterator(xhp->pkgdb);
@@ -319,12 +344,26 @@ int
 xbps_transaction_update_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg)
 {
 	xbps_array_t rdeps;
+	int rv;
+
+	rv = xbps_autoupdate(xhp);
+	xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "%s: xbps_autoupdate %d\n", __func__, rv);
+	switch (rv) {
+	case 1:
+		/* xbps needs to be updated, don't add any other package */
+		return 0;
+	case -1:
+		/* error */
+		return EINVAL;
+	default:
+		/* no update */
+		break;
+	}
 
 	rdeps = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg_revdeps(xhp, pkg);
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < xbps_array_count(rdeps); i++)  {
 		const char *curpkgver;
 		char *curpkgn;
-		int rv;
 
 		xbps_array_get_cstring_nocopy(rdeps, i, &curpkgver);
 		curpkgn = xbps_pkg_name(curpkgver);
@@ -342,12 +381,25 @@ xbps_transaction_install_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg,
 			     bool reinstall)
 {
 	xbps_array_t rdeps;
+	int rv;
+
+	rv = xbps_autoupdate(xhp);
+	switch (rv) {
+	case 1:
+		/* xbps needs to be updated, don't add any other package */
+		return 0;
+	case -1:
+		/* error */
+		return EINVAL;
+	default:
+		/* no update */
+		break;
+	}
 
 	rdeps = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg_revdeps(xhp, pkg);
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < xbps_array_count(rdeps); i++)  {
 		const char *curpkgver;
 		char *curpkgn;
-		int rv;
 
 		xbps_array_get_cstring_nocopy(rdeps, i, &curpkgver);
 		curpkgn = xbps_pkg_name(curpkgver);
diff --git a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/update_itself.sh b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/update_itself.sh
index 72c64043..1a7a7457 100644
--- a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/update_itself.sh
+++ b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/update_itself.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ update_xbps_body() {
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
-	atf_check_equal "$out" "xbps-1.0_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.0_1
 
 	cd repo
 	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.1_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ update_xbps_body() {
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
-	atf_check_equal "$out" "xbps-1.1_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
 }
 
 atf_test_case update_xbps_with_revdeps
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ update_xbps_with_revdeps_head() {
 }
 
 update_xbps_with_revdeps_body() {
-	mkdir -p repo xbps xbps-dbg
-	touch xbps/foo xbps-dbg/foo
+	mkdir -p repo xbps xbps-dbg baz
+	touch xbps/foo xbps-dbg/foo baz/blah
 
 	cd repo
 	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.0_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
@@ -58,35 +58,53 @@ update_xbps_with_revdeps_body() {
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	cd repo
-	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.1_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n baz-1.0_1 -s "baz pkg" ../baz
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-
 	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-dbg-1.0_1 -s "xbps-dbg pkg" --dependencies "xbps-1.0_1" ../xbps-dbg
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 	cd ..
 
-	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yd xbps-dbg-1.0_1
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yd xbps-dbg baz
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	cd repo
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.1_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n baz-1.1_1 -s "baz pkg" ../baz
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
 	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-dbg-1.1_1 -s "xbps-dbg pkg" --dependencies "xbps-1.1_1" ../xbps-dbg
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 	cd ..
 
+	# first time, xbps autoupdates
 	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yud
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
-	atf_check_equal $out "xbps-1.1_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps-dbg)
-	atf_check_equal $out "xbps-dbg-1.1_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-dbg-1.1_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver baz)
+	atf_check_equal $out baz-1.0_1
+
+	# second time, updates everything
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yud
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps-dbg)
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-dbg-1.1_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver baz)
+	atf_check_equal $out baz-1.1_1
 }
 
 atf_test_case update_xbps_with_uptodate_revdeps
@@ -128,14 +146,71 @@ update_xbps_with_uptodate_revdeps_body() {
 	atf_check_equal $? 0
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
-	atf_check_equal $out "xbps-1.1_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
 
 	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver base-system)
-	atf_check_equal $out "base-system-1.0_1"
+	atf_check_equal $out base-system-1.0_1
+}
+
+atf_test_case update_xbps_on_any_op
+
+update_xbps_on_any_op_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Tests for pkg updates: xbps autoupdates itself on any operation"
+}
+
+update_xbps_on_any_op_body() {
+	mkdir -p repo xbps foo
+	touch xbps/foo foo/blah
+
+	cd repo
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.0_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n foo-1.0_1 -s "foo pkg" ../foo
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	cd ..
+
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yd xbps foo
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.0_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver foo)
+	atf_check_equal $out foo-1.0_1
+
+	cd repo
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n xbps-1.1_1 -s "xbps pkg" ../xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-create -A noarch -n foo-1.1_1 -s "foo pkg" ../foo
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	cd ..
+
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yud foo
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver foo)
+	atf_check_equal $out foo-1.0_1
+
+	xbps-install -r root --repository=$PWD/repo -yud
+	atf_check_equal $? 0
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver xbps)
+	atf_check_equal $out xbps-1.1_1
+
+	out=$(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver foo)
+	atf_check_equal $out foo-1.1_1
 }
 
 atf_init_test_cases() {
 	atf_add_test_case update_xbps
 	atf_add_test_case update_xbps_with_revdeps
 	atf_add_test_case update_xbps_with_uptodate_revdeps
+	atf_add_test_case update_xbps_on_any_op
 }