diff --git a/lib/transaction_ops.c b/lib/transaction_ops.c
index d4fef601..d1f4b342 100644
--- a/lib/transaction_ops.c
+++ b/lib/transaction_ops.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 static int
 trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool force)
 {
-	xbps_dictionary_t pkg_pkgdb = NULL, pkg_repod = NULL;
+	xbps_dictionary_t pkg_pkgdb = NULL, pkg_repod = NULL, vpkg_pkgdb = NULL;
 	xbps_object_t obj;
 	xbps_array_t pkgs;
 	pkg_state_t state = 0;
@@ -72,8 +72,12 @@ trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool force)
 	 */
 	if (xbps_pkg_name(buf, sizeof(buf), pkg)) {
 		pkg_pkgdb = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg(xhp, buf);
+		if (!pkg_pkgdb)
+			vpkg_pkgdb = xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkg(xhp, buf);
 	} else {
 		pkg_pkgdb = xbps_pkgdb_get_pkg(xhp, pkg);
+		if (!pkg_pkgdb)
+			vpkg_pkgdb = xbps_pkgdb_get_virtualpkg(xhp, pkg);
 	}
 
 	if (xhp->flags & XBPS_FLAG_DOWNLOAD_ONLY) {
@@ -81,23 +85,24 @@ trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool force)
 		ttype = XBPS_TRANS_DOWNLOAD;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Find out if the pkg has been found in repository pool.
-	 */
-	if (pkg_pkgdb == NULL) {
-		/* pkg not installed, perform installation */
-		ttype = XBPS_TRANS_INSTALL;
-		if (((pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_pkg(xhp, pkg)) == NULL) &&
-		    ((pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_virtualpkg(xhp, pkg)) == NULL)) {
-			/* not found */
-			return ENOENT;
-		}
-	} else {
+	if (vpkg_pkgdb) {
+		// virtual package installed, if there is no real package in
+		// the rpool, we are keeping the virtual package.
+		pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_pkg(xhp, pkg);
+		if (!pkg_repod)
+			pkg_pkgdb = vpkg_pkgdb;
+	}
+	if (pkg_pkgdb) {
+		// package already installed
 		if (force) {
 			ttype = XBPS_TRANS_REINSTALL;
 		} else {
 			ttype = XBPS_TRANS_UPDATE;
 		}
+		if (!xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkg_pkgdb, "pkgname", &pkgname)) {
+			xbps_error_printf("missing `pkgname` property\n");
+			return EINVAL;
+		}
 		if (xbps_dictionary_get(pkg_pkgdb, "repolock")) {
 			struct xbps_repo *repo;
 			/* find update from repo */
@@ -107,15 +112,21 @@ trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool force)
 				/* not found */
 				return ENOENT;
 			}
-			pkg_repod = xbps_repo_get_pkg(repo, pkg);
+			pkg_repod = xbps_repo_get_pkg(repo, pkgname);
 		} else {
 			/* find update from rpool */
-			pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_pkg(xhp, pkg);
-		}
-		if (pkg_repod == NULL) {
-			/* not found */
-			return ENOENT;
+			pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_pkg(xhp, pkgname);
 		}
+	} else {
+		ttype = XBPS_TRANS_INSTALL;
+		pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_pkg(xhp, pkg);
+		if (!pkg_repod)
+			pkg_repod = xbps_rpool_get_virtualpkg(xhp, pkg);
+	}
+
+	if (!pkg_repod) {
+		/* not found */
+		return ENOENT;
 	}
 
 	xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkg_repod, "pkgver", &repopkgver);
@@ -179,6 +190,7 @@ trans_find_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp, const char *pkg, bool force)
 	}
 
 	if (!xbps_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkg_repod, "pkgname", &pkgname)) {
+		xbps_error_printf("missing `pkgname` property\n");
 		return EINVAL;
 	}
 	/*
diff --git a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/install_test.sh b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/install_test.sh
index c0fe9a1a..930bcba5 100644
--- a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/install_test.sh
+++ b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/install_test.sh
@@ -336,6 +336,53 @@ install_and_update_revdeps_body() {
 	atf_check_equal $(xbps-query -r root -p pkgver D) D-1.0_1
 }
 
+atf_test_case install_virtual_already_installed
+
+install_virtual_already_installed_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Tests for pkg install: do not reinstall an already installed virtual package"
+}
+
+install_virtual_already_installed_body() {
+	mkdir -p repo1 repo1-dbg repo2 pkg/usr/bin
+
+	cd repo1
+	touch ../pkg/usr/bin/A
+	atf_check -o ignore -e ignore -- xbps-create -A noarch -n A-1.0_1 -s "A pkg" --provides "cmd:A-1.0_1" ../pkg
+	atf_check -o ignore -- xbps-rindex -a $PWD/*.xbps
+	cd ..
+
+	atf_check -o match:'A-1\.0_1: installed successfully\.' -- \
+		xbps-install -r root -R repo1 -yv A
+
+	atf_check -o not-match:'A-1\.0_1: installed successfully\.' \
+		-e inline:"ERROR: Package \`cmd:A' already installed.\n" -- \
+		xbps-install -r root -R repo1 -yv cmd:A
+}
+
+atf_test_case install_virtual_already_installed_as_dep
+
+install_virtual_already_installed_as_dep_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Tests for pkg install: do not reinstall an already installed virtual package as dependency"
+}
+
+install_virtual_already_installed_as_dep_body() {
+	mkdir -p repo1 pkg_A/usr/bin pkg_B/usr/bin
+
+	cd repo1
+	touch ../pkg_A/usr/bin/A
+	touch ../pkg_B/usr/bin/B
+	atf_check -o ignore -e ignore -- xbps-create -A noarch -n A-1.0_1 -s "A pkg" --provides "cmd:A-1.0_1" ../pkg_A
+	atf_check -o ignore -e ignore -- xbps-create -A noarch -n B-1.0_1 -s "B pkg" --dependencies "cmd:A-1.0_1" ../pkg_B
+	atf_check -o ignore -- xbps-rindex -a $PWD/*.xbps
+	cd ..
+
+	atf_check -o match:'A-1\.0_1: installed successfully\.' -- \
+		xbps-install -r root -R repo1 -yv A
+
+	atf_check -o not-match:'A-1\.0_1: installed successfully\.' -- \
+		xbps-install -r root -R repo1 -yv B
+}
+
 atf_test_case update_file_timestamps
 
 update_file_timestamps_head() {
@@ -735,6 +782,8 @@ atf_init_test_cases() {
 	atf_add_test_case install_bestmatch_deps
 	atf_add_test_case install_bestmatch_disabled
 	atf_add_test_case install_and_update_revdeps
+	atf_add_test_case install_virtual_already_installed
+	atf_add_test_case install_virtual_already_installed_as_dep
 	atf_add_test_case update_and_install
 	atf_add_test_case update_if_installed
 	atf_add_test_case update_to_empty_pkg
diff --git a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/replace_test.sh b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/replace_test.sh
index daa1af22..15f80384 100644
--- a/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/replace_test.sh
+++ b/tests/xbps/libxbps/shell/replace_test.sh
@@ -88,23 +88,18 @@ self_replace_body() {
 	echo "A-1.0_1" > pkg_A/usr/bin/foo
 	echo "B-1.0_1" > pkg_B/usr/bin/foo
 	cd some_repo
-	xbps-create -A noarch -n A-1.0_1 -s "A pkg" ../pkg_A
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	xbps-create -A noarch -n B-1.0_1 -s "B pkg" --replaces "A>=0" --provides="A-1.0_1" ../pkg_B
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	xbps-rindex -d -a $PWD/*.xbps
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
+	atf_check -o ignore -- xbps-create -A noarch -n A-1.0_1 -s "A pkg" ../pkg_A
+	atf_check -o ignore -- xbps-create -A noarch -n B-1.0_1 -s "B pkg" --replaces "A>=0" --provides="A-1.0_1" ../pkg_B
+	atf_check -o ignore -- xbps-rindex -a $PWD/*.xbps
 	cd ..
-	xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd A
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd B
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd A
-	atf_check_equal $? 0
-	out=$(xbps-query -C xbps.d -r root -l|awk '{print $2}')
-	exp="A-1.0_1"
-	atf_check_equal $out $exp
-	atf_check_equal $(xbps-query -C xbps.d -r root -p state A) installed
+	atf_check -o ignore -e ignore -- xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd A
+	atf_check -o ignore -e ignore -- xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd B
+	atf_check -e ignore \
+		-o match:'A-1\.0_1: installed successfully.' \
+		-o match:'B-1\.0_1: removed successfully.' \
+		-- xbps-install -C xbps.d -r root --repository=$PWD/some_repo -yd A
+	atf_check -o inline:"A-1.0_1\n" -- xbps-query -C xbps.d -r root -p pkgver A
+	atf_check -o inline:"installed\n" -- xbps-query -C xbps.d -r root -p state A
 }
 
 atf_test_case replace_vpkg