diff --git a/src/nimble.nim b/src/nimble.nim
index 4d026d0..920196c 100644
--- a/src/nimble.nim
+++ b/src/nimble.nim
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ proc addRevDep(options: Options, dep: tuple[name, version: string],
     options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"][dep.name] = newJObject()
   if not options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"][dep.name].hasKey(dep.version):
     options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"][dep.name][dep.version] = newJArray()
-  let revDep = %{ "name": %pkg.name, "version": %pkg.version}
+  let revDep = %{ "name": %pkg.name, "version": %pkg.specialVersion}
   let thisDep = options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"][dep.name][dep.version]
   if revDep notin thisDep:
     thisDep.add revDep
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ proc removeRevDep(options: Options, pkg: PackageInfo) =
         var newVal = newJArray()
         for revDep in val:
           if not (revDep["name"].str == pkg.name and
-                  revDep["version"].str == pkg.version):
+                  revDep["version"].str == pkg.specialVersion):
             newVal.add revDep
         thisDep[ver] = newVal
 
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ proc processDeps(pkginfo: PackageInfo, options: Options): seq[string] =
   result = @[]
   assert(not pkginfo.isMinimal, "processDeps needs pkginfo.requires")
   display("Verifying",
-          "dependencies for $1@$2" % [pkginfo.name, pkginfo.version],
+          "dependencies for $1@$2" % [pkginfo.name, pkginfo.specialVersion],
           priority = HighPriority)
 
   let pkglist = getInstalledPkgs(options.getPkgsDir(), options)
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ proc processDeps(pkginfo: PackageInfo, options: Options): seq[string] =
         result.add(pkg.mypath.splitFile.dir)
         # Process the dependencies of this dependency.
         result.add(processDeps(pkg, options))
-      reverseDeps.add((pkg.name, pkg.version))
+      reverseDeps.add((pkg.name, pkg.specialVersion))
 
   # Check if two packages of the same name (but different version) are listed
   # in the path.
@@ -298,11 +298,11 @@ proc processDeps(pkginfo: PackageInfo, options: Options): seq[string] =
   for p in result:
     let pkgInfo = getPkgInfo(p, options)
     if pkgsInPath.hasKey(pkgInfo.name) and
-       pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name] != pkgInfo.version:
+       pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name] != pkgInfo.specialVersion:
       raise newException(NimbleError,
         "Cannot satisfy the dependency on $1 $2 and $1 $3" %
-          [pkgInfo.name, pkgInfo.version, pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name]])
-    pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name] = pkgInfo.version
+          [pkgInfo.name, pkgInfo.specialVersion, pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name]])
+    pkgsInPath[pkgInfo.name] = pkgInfo.specialVersion
 
   # We add the reverse deps to the JSON file here because we don't want
   # them added if the above errorenous condition occurs
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ proc installFromDir(dir: string, requestedVer: VersionRange, options: Options,
 
   # Overwrite the version if the requested version is "#head" or similar.
   if requestedVer.kind == verSpecial:
-    pkgInfo.version = $requestedVer.spe
+    pkgInfo.specialVersion = $requestedVer.spe
 
   # Dependencies need to be processed before the creation of the pkg dir.
   result.paths = processDeps(pkginfo, depsOptions)
@@ -415,14 +415,14 @@ proc installFromDir(dir: string, requestedVer: VersionRange, options: Options,
     result.pkg = pkgInfo
     return result
 
-  display("Installing", "$1 $2" % [pkginfo.name, pkginfo.version],
+  display("Installing", "$1@$2" % [pkginfo.name, pkginfo.specialVersion],
           priority = HighPriority)
 
   # Build before removing an existing package (if one exists). This way
   # if the build fails then the old package will still be installed.
   if pkgInfo.bin.len > 0: buildFromDir(pkgInfo, result.paths, true)
 
-  let versionStr = '-' & pkgInfo.version
+  let versionStr = '-' & pkgInfo.specialVersion
 
   let pkgDestDir = pkgsDir / (pkgInfo.name & versionStr)
   if existsDir(pkgDestDir) and existsFile(pkgDestDir / "nimblemeta.json"):
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ proc listInstalled(options: Options) =
   for x in pkgs.items():
     let
       pName = x.pkginfo.name
-      pVer = x.pkginfo.version
+      pVer = x.pkginfo.specialVersion
     if not h.hasKey(pName): h[pName] = @[]
     var s = h[pName]
     add(s, pVer)
@@ -755,8 +755,8 @@ proc listPaths(options: Options) =
       if hasSpec:
         var pkgInfo = getPkgInfo(path, options)
         var v: VersionAndPath
-        v.version = newVersion(pkgInfo.version)
-        v.path = options.getPkgsDir / (pkgInfo.name & '-' & pkgInfo.version)
+        v.version = newVersion(pkgInfo.specialVersion)
+        v.path = options.getPkgsDir / (pkgInfo.name & '-' & pkgInfo.specialVersion)
         installed.add(v)
       else:
         display("Warning:", "No .nimble file found for " & path, Warning,
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ proc uninstall(options: Options) =
     for pkg in pkgList:
       # Check whether any packages depend on the ones the user is trying to
       # uninstall.
-      let thisPkgsDep = options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"]{pkg.name}{pkg.version}
+      let thisPkgsDep = options.nimbleData["reverseDeps"]{pkg.name}{pkg.specialVersion}
       if not thisPkgsDep.isNil:
         var reason = ""
         if thisPkgsDep.len == 1:
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ proc uninstall(options: Options) =
               reason.add ", "
           reason.add " depend on it"
         errors.add("Cannot uninstall $1 ($2) because $3" % [pkgTup.name,
-                   pkg.version, reason])
+                   pkg.specialVersion, reason])
       else:
         pkgsToDelete.add pkg
 
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ proc uninstall(options: Options) =
   for i in 0 .. <pkgsToDelete.len:
     if i != 0: pkgNames.add ", "
     let pkg = pkgsToDelete[i]
-    pkgNames.add("$1 ($2)" % [pkg.name, pkg.version])
+    pkgNames.add("$1 ($2)" % [pkg.name, pkg.specialVersion])
 
   # Let's confirm that the user wants these packages removed.
   let msg = ("The following packages will be removed:\n  $1\n" &
@@ -931,8 +931,8 @@ proc uninstall(options: Options) =
     # a minimal pkg info.
     let pkgFull = getPkgInfo(pkg.mypath.splitFile.dir, options) # TODO: Simplify
     removeRevDep(options, pkgFull)
-    removePkgDir(options.getPkgsDir / (pkg.name & '-' & pkg.version), options)
-    display("Removed", "$1 ($2)" % [pkg.name, $pkg.version], Success,
+    removePkgDir(options.getPkgsDir / (pkg.name & '-' & pkg.specialVersion), options)
+    display("Removed", "$1 ($2)" % [pkg.name, $pkg.specialVersion], Success,
             HighPriority)
 
 proc listTasks(options: Options) =
diff --git a/src/nimblepkg/common.nim b/src/nimblepkg/common.nim
index 9d1002d..c3ab2f9 100644
--- a/src/nimblepkg/common.nim
+++ b/src/nimblepkg/common.nim
@@ -15,16 +15,16 @@ when not defined(nimscript):
 
     PackageInfo* = object
       myPath*: string ## The path of this .nimble file
-      ## The version specified in the .nimble file.Assuming info is non-minimal,
-      ## it will always be a non-special version such as '0.1.4'
-      myVersion*: string
       isNimScript*: bool ## Determines if this pkg info was read from a nims file
       isMinimal*: bool
       isInstalled*: bool ## Determines if the pkg this info belongs to is installed
       postHooks*: HashSet[string] ## Useful to know so that Nimble doesn't execHook unnecessarily
       preHooks*: HashSet[string]
       name*: string
-      version*: string ## Either `myVersion` or a special version such as #head.
+      ## The version specified in the .nimble file.Assuming info is non-minimal,
+      ## it will always be a non-special version such as '0.1.4'
+      version*: string
+      specialVersion*: string ## Either `myVersion` or a special version such as #head.
       author*: string
       description*: string
       license*: string
diff --git a/src/nimblepkg/packageinfo.nim b/src/nimblepkg/packageinfo.nim
index 573d504..e92eaf6 100644
--- a/src/nimblepkg/packageinfo.nim
+++ b/src/nimblepkg/packageinfo.nim
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type
 
 proc initPackageInfo*(path: string): PackageInfo =
   result.myPath = path
-  result.myVersion = ""
+  result.specialVersion = ""
   result.preHooks.init()
   result.postHooks.init()
   # reasonable default:
@@ -195,11 +195,19 @@ proc getInstalledPkgsMin*(libsDir: string, options: Options):
         var pkg = initPackageInfo(nimbleFile)
         pkg.name = name
         pkg.version = version
+        pkg.specialVersion = version
         pkg.isMinimal = true
         pkg.isInstalled = true
         result.add((pkg, meta))
 
-proc findPkg*(pkglist: seq[tuple[pkginfo: PackageInfo, meta: MetaData]],
+proc withinRange*(pkgInfo: PackageInfo, verRange: VersionRange): bool =
+  ## Determines whether the specified package's version is within the
+  ## specified range. The check works with ordinary versions as well as
+  ## special ones.
+  return withinRange(newVersion(pkgInfo.version), verRange) or
+         withinRange(newVersion(pkgInfo.specialVersion), verRange)
+
+proc findPkg*(pkglist: seq[tuple[pkgInfo: PackageInfo, meta: MetaData]],
              dep: PkgTuple,
              r: var PackageInfo): bool =
   ## Searches ``pkglist`` for a package of which version is within the range
@@ -211,22 +219,23 @@ proc findPkg*(pkglist: seq[tuple[pkginfo: PackageInfo, meta: MetaData]],
   for pkg in pkglist:
     if cmpIgnoreStyle(pkg.pkginfo.name, dep.name) != 0 and
        cmpIgnoreStyle(pkg.meta.url, dep.name) != 0: continue
-    if withinRange(newVersion(pkg.pkginfo.myVersion), dep.ver) or
-       withinRange(newVersion(pkg.pkginfo.version), dep.ver):
-      if not result or newVersion(r.version) < newVersion(pkg.pkginfo.myVersion):
+    if withinRange(pkg.pkgInfo, dep.ver):
+      let isNewer = (not r.version.isNil) and
+                    newVersion(r.version) < newVersion(pkg.pkginfo.version)
+      if not result or isNewer:
         r = pkg.pkginfo
         result = true
 
-proc findAllPkgs*(pkglist: seq[tuple[pkginfo: PackageInfo, meta: MetaData]],
+proc findAllPkgs*(pkglist: seq[tuple[pkgInfo: PackageInfo, meta: MetaData]],
                   dep: PkgTuple): seq[PackageInfo] =
   ## Searches ``pkglist`` for packages of which version is within the range
   ## of ``dep.ver``. This is similar to ``findPkg`` but returns multiple
   ## packages if multiple are found.
   result = @[]
   for pkg in pkglist:
-    if cmpIgnoreStyle(pkg.pkginfo.name, dep.name) != 0 and
+    if cmpIgnoreStyle(pkg.pkgInfo.name, dep.name) != 0 and
        cmpIgnoreStyle(pkg.meta.url, dep.name) != 0: continue
-    if withinRange(newVersion(pkg.pkginfo.version), dep.ver):
+    if withinRange(pkg.pkgInfo, dep.ver):
       result.add pkg.pkginfo
 
 proc getRealDir*(pkgInfo: PackageInfo): string =
diff --git a/src/nimblepkg/packageparser.nim b/src/nimblepkg/packageparser.nim
index 3d4a6b4..2f89c88 100644
--- a/src/nimblepkg/packageparser.nim
+++ b/src/nimblepkg/packageparser.nim
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ proc readPackageInfo(nf: NimbleFile, options: Options,
     if onlyMinimalInfo:
       result.name = minimalInfo.name
       result.version = minimalInfo.version
+      result.specialVersion = result.version
       result.isNimScript = true
       result.isMinimal = true
     else:
@@ -287,21 +288,18 @@ proc readPackageInfo(nf: NimbleFile, options: Options,
                   "    " & getCurrentExceptionMsg() & "."
         raise newException(NimbleError, msg)
 
-  # Validate version ahead of time, we will be potentially overwriting it soon.
-  result.myVersion = result.version
-  validateVersion(result.version)
-
   # The package directory name may include a "special" version
   # (example #head). If so, it is given higher priority and therefore
   # overwrites the .nimble file's version.
   let version = parseVersionRange(minimalInfo.version)
   if version.kind == verSpecial:
-    result.version = minimalInfo.version
+    result.specialVersion = minimalInfo.version
 
   if not result.isMinimal:
     options.pkgInfoCache[nf] = result
 
   # Validate the rest of the package info last.
+  validateVersion(result.version)
   validatePackageInfo(result, options)
 
 proc getPkgInfoFromFile*(file: NimbleFile, options: Options): PackageInfo =
diff --git a/tests/tester.nim b/tests/tester.nim
index 266811b..ce30768 100644
--- a/tests/tester.nim
+++ b/tests/tester.nim
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ proc execNimble(args: varargs[string]): tuple[output: string, exitCode: int] =
   quotedArgs = quoted_args.map((x: string) => ("\"" & x & "\""))
 
   result = execCmdEx(quotedArgs.join(" "))
+  echo(result.output)
 
 proc processOutput(output: string): seq[string] =
   output.strip.splitLines().filter((x: string) => (x.len > 0))