diff --git a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
index 20ee7d2b..d39feeaf 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ exec_transaction(struct transaction *trans)
 	prop_object_t obj;
 	const char *pkgname, *version, *pkgver, *instver, *filen, *tract;
 	int rv = 0;
-	bool update, preserve, autoinst;
+	bool update, preserve;
 	pkg_state_t state;
 
 	/*
@@ -484,12 +484,11 @@ exec_transaction(struct transaction *trans)
 		if ((strcmp(tract, "remove") == 0) ||
 		    (strcmp(tract, "configure") == 0))
 			continue;
-		autoinst = preserve = false;
+		preserve = false;
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgname", &pkgname);
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "version", &version);
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "pkgver", &pkgver);
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(obj, "filename", &filen);
-		prop_dictionary_get_bool(obj, "automatic-install", &autoinst);
 		prop_dictionary_get_bool(obj, "preserve",  &preserve);
 		/*
 		 * If dependency is already unpacked skip this phase.
@@ -537,7 +536,7 @@ exec_transaction(struct transaction *trans)
 		/*
 		 * Register binary package.
 		 */
-		if ((rv = xbps_register_pkg(obj, autoinst)) != 0) {
+		if ((rv = xbps_register_pkg(obj)) != 0) {
 			xbps_error_printf("xbps-bin: error registering %s "
 			    "(%s)\n", pkgver, strerror(rv));
 			return rv;
diff --git a/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c b/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
index d35db9cb..18461a10 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (rv != 0)
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
-		rv = xbps_register_pkg(dict, false);
+		rv = xbps_register_pkg(dict);
 		if (rv == EEXIST) {
 			printf("%s%s=> %s-%s already registered.%s\n", MSG_WARN,
 			    in_chroot ? "[chroot] " : "", argv[1], argv[2],
diff --git a/include/xbps_api.h b/include/xbps_api.h
index cc96849f..32d8f92a 100644
--- a/include/xbps_api.h
+++ b/include/xbps_api.h
@@ -776,14 +776,12 @@ int xbps_purge_all_pkgs(void);
  * Register a package into the installed packages database.
  *
  * @param[in] pkg_dict A dictionary with the following objects:
- * \a pkgname, \a version, \a pkgver, \a short_desc (string)
- * and optionally \a provides (array of strings).
- * @param[in] automatic Set it to true to mark package that has been
- * installed by another package, and not explicitly.
+ * \a pkgname, \a version, \a pkgver, \a short_desc (string),
+ * \a automatic-install (bool) and optionally \a provides (array of strings).
  *
  * @return 0 on success, otherwise an errno value.
  */
-int xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkg_dict, bool automatic);
+int xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkg_dict);
 
 /**
  * Unregister a package from the package database.
diff --git a/lib/package_register.c b/lib/package_register.c
index e5f06a44..7edf2da6 100644
--- a/lib/package_register.c
+++ b/lib/package_register.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
  */
 
 int
-xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkgrd, bool automatic)
+xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkgrd)
 {
 	const struct xbps_handle *xhp;
 	prop_dictionary_t dict, pkgd;
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkgrd, bool automatic)
 	const char *pkgname, *version, *desc, *pkgver;
 	char *plist;
 	int rv = 0;
+	bool autoinst;
 
 	xhp = xbps_handle_get();
 	plist = xbps_xasprintf("%s/%s/%s", xhp->rootdir,
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkgrd, bool automatic)
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgrd, "version", &version);
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgrd, "short_desc", &desc);
 	prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgrd, "pkgver", &pkgver);
+	prop_dictionary_get_bool(pkgrd, "automatic-install", &autoinst);
 	provides = prop_dictionary_get(pkgrd, "provides");
 
 	assert(pkgname != NULL);
@@ -92,12 +94,17 @@ xbps_register_pkg(prop_dictionary_t pkgrd, bool automatic)
 			rv = EINVAL;
 			goto out;
 		}
+		prop_dictionary_get_bool(pkgd, "automatic-install", &autoinst);
 		if (xhp->install_reason_auto)
-			automatic = true;
+			autoinst = true;
 		else if (xhp->install_reason_manual)
-			automatic = false;
-		if (!prop_dictionary_set_bool(pkgd, "automatic-install",
-		    automatic)) {
+			autoinst = false;
+
+		xbps_dbg_printf("%s: autoinst %d reason_auto %d reason_manual %d\n",
+		    pkgver, autoinst, xhp->install_reason_auto, xhp->install_reason_manual);
+
+		if (!prop_dictionary_set_bool(pkgd,
+		    "automatic-install", autoinst)) {
 			prop_object_release(pkgd);
 			rv = EINVAL;
 			goto out;