diff --git a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
index bdbe73c9..c780b833 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
@@ -612,10 +612,11 @@ xbps_exec_transaction(bool yes)
 
 	trans->dict = xbps_repository_get_transaction_dict();
 	if (trans->dict == NULL) {
-		rv = errno;
+		xbps_dbg_printf("Empty transaction dictionary: %s\n",
+		    strerror(errno));
 		goto out;
 	}
-	if (rv == ENOENT) {
+	if (errno == ENOENT) {
 		/*
 		 * Bail out if there are unresolved deps.
 		 */
diff --git a/lib/regpkgdb_dictionary.c b/lib/regpkgdb_dictionary.c
index 18fcdb4d..d84fca63 100644
--- a/lib/regpkgdb_dictionary.c
+++ b/lib/regpkgdb_dictionary.c
@@ -75,8 +75,9 @@ xbps_regpkgdb_dictionary_get(void)
 		regpkgdb_dict = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_zfile(plist);
 		if (regpkgdb_dict == NULL) {
 			free(plist);
-			xbps_dbg_printf("[regpkgdb] cannot internalize "
-			    "regpkgdb_dict %s\n", strerror(errno));
+			if (errno != ENOENT)
+				xbps_dbg_printf("[regpkgdb] cannot internalize "
+				    "regpkgdb_dict %s\n", strerror(errno));
 			return NULL;
 		}
 		free(plist);
diff --git a/lib/repository_finddeps.c b/lib/repository_finddeps.c
index a1bfa2b8..8a8d8ef4 100644
--- a/lib/repository_finddeps.c
+++ b/lib/repository_finddeps.c
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ add_missing_reqdep(prop_dictionary_t trans_dict, const char *reqpkg)
 	prop_object_t obj;
 	size_t idx = 0;
 	bool add_pkgdep, pkgfound, update_pkgdep;
+	int rv = 0;
 
 	assert(trans_dict != NULL);
 	assert(reqpkg != NULL);
@@ -148,6 +149,12 @@ add_missing_reqdep(prop_dictionary_t trans_dict, const char *reqpkg)
 		}
 		if (strcmp(pkgnamedep, curpkgnamedep) == 0) {
 			pkgfound = true;
+			if (strcmp(curver, pkgver) == 0) {
+				free(curpkgnamedep);
+				free(pkgnamedep);
+				rv = EEXIST;
+				goto out;
+			}
 			/*
 			 * if new dependency version is greater than current
 			 * one, store it.
@@ -158,6 +165,7 @@ add_missing_reqdep(prop_dictionary_t trans_dict, const char *reqpkg)
 				add_pkgdep = false;
 				free(curpkgnamedep);
 				free(pkgnamedep);
+				rv = EEXIST;
 				goto out;
 			}
 			update_pkgdep = true;
@@ -180,7 +188,7 @@ out:
 		return errno;
 	}
 
-	return 0;
+	return rv;
 }
 
 static int
diff --git a/lib/repository_findpkg.c b/lib/repository_findpkg.c
index ef0144bf..a124573c 100644
--- a/lib/repository_findpkg.c
+++ b/lib/repository_findpkg.c
@@ -213,18 +213,17 @@ xbps_repository_get_transaction_dict(void)
 		 * return the dictionary, the client should always
 		 * check if that's the case.
 		 */
-		if (rv == ENOENT)
-			return trans_dict;
-
-		return NULL;
+		return trans_dict;
 	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Add total transaction installed/download sizes
 	 * to the transaction dictionary.
 	 */
-	if (compute_transaction_sizes() != 0)
+	if ((rv = compute_transaction_sizes()) != 0) {
+		errno = rv;
 		return NULL;
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Remove the "missing_deps" array now that it's not needed.
diff --git a/lib/sortdeps.c b/lib/sortdeps.c
index d23d00a0..d50926f6 100644
--- a/lib/sortdeps.c
+++ b/lib/sortdeps.c
@@ -74,8 +74,11 @@ xbps_sort_pkg_deps(prop_dictionary_t chaindeps)
 	 * If there are missing dependencies, bail out.
 	 */
 	missingdeps = prop_dictionary_get(chaindeps, "missing_deps");
-	if (prop_array_count(missingdeps) > 0)
+	if (prop_array_count(missingdeps) > 0) {
+		xbps_dbg_printf("missing dependencies! won't "
+		    "continue sorting\n");
 		return ENOENT;
+	}
 
 	sorted = prop_array_create();
 	if (sorted == NULL)