diff --git a/include/xbps_api.h.in b/include/xbps_api.h.in
index aa140ab7..a57de359 100644
--- a/include/xbps_api.h.in
+++ b/include/xbps_api.h.in
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
  */
 #define XBPS_PKGINDEX_VERSION	"1.5"
 
-#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20121119-2"
+#define XBPS_API_VERSION	"20121119-3"
 
 #ifndef XBPS_VERSION
  #define XBPS_VERSION		"UNSET"
@@ -749,6 +749,21 @@ prop_dictionary_t xbps_pkgdb_get_pkgd(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 				      const char *pkg,
 				      bool bypattern);
 
+/**
+ * Returns a package dictionary from master package database (pkgdb) plist,
+ * matching virtual pkgname or pkgver object in \a pkg.
+ *
+ * @param[in] xhp The pointer to the xbps_handle struct.
+ * @param[in] pkg Package name or name-version to match.
+ * @param[in] bypattern If false \a pkg must be a pkgname, otherwise a
+ * package pattern, i.e `foo>=0' or `foo<1'.
+ *
+ * @return The matching proplib package dictionary, NULL otherwise.
+ */
+prop_dictionary_t xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkgd(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
+					     const char *pkg,
+				             bool bypattern);
+
 /**
  * Returns a package dictionary from master package database (pkgdb) plist,
  * matching the pkgver object in \a pkg dictionary.
diff --git a/lib/package_metadir.c b/lib/package_metadir.c
index e6d44a2f..8ab80104 100644
--- a/lib/package_metadir.c
+++ b/lib/package_metadir.c
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ xbps_metadir_get_pkgd(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *name)
 	plistf = xbps_xasprintf("%s/.%s.plist", xhp->metadir, name);
 
 	if (access(plistf, R_OK) == -1) {
-		pkgd = xbps_find_virtualpkg_dict_installed(xhp, name, false);
+		pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkgd(xhp, name, false);
 		if (pkgd == NULL)
-			pkgd = xbps_find_pkg_dict_installed(xhp, name, false);
+			pkgd = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkgd(xhp, name, false);
 
 		if (pkgd != NULL) {
 			free(plistf);
diff --git a/lib/pkgdb.c b/lib/pkgdb.c
index 75de7685..cee5e1a9 100644
--- a/lib/pkgdb.c
+++ b/lib/pkgdb.c
@@ -181,6 +181,40 @@ xbps_pkgdb_get_pkgd(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool bypattern)
 	return pkgd;
 }
 
+prop_dictionary_t
+xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkgd(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
+			   const char *vpkg,
+			   bool bypattern)
+{
+	prop_dictionary_t pkgd = NULL;
+
+	if (xbps_pkgdb_init(xhp) != 0)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (bypattern) {
+		/* first return vpkg from matching a conf file */
+		pkgd = xbps_find_virtualpkg_conf_in_array_by_pattern(xhp,
+				xhp->pkgdb, vpkg);
+		if (pkgd != NULL)
+			return pkgd;
+
+		/* ... otherwise the first one in array */
+		pkgd = xbps_find_virtualpkg_in_array_by_pattern(xhp,
+				xhp->pkgdb, vpkg);
+	} else {
+		/* first return vpkg from matching a conf file */
+		pkgd = xbps_find_virtualpkg_conf_in_array_by_name(xhp,
+				xhp->pkgdb, vpkg);
+		if (pkgd != NULL)
+			return pkgd;
+
+		pkgd = xbps_find_virtualpkg_in_array_by_name(xhp,
+				xhp->pkgdb, vpkg);
+	}
+
+	return pkgd;
+}
+
 prop_dictionary_t
 xbps_pkgdb_get_pkgd_by_pkgver(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkgver)
 {