diff --git a/src/prtget.cpp b/src/prtget.cpp
index b03515e..94665cf 100644
--- a/src/prtget.cpp
+++ b/src/prtget.cpp
@@ -602,30 +602,41 @@ void PrtGet::install( bool update, bool group, bool dependencies )
 
     // this can be done without initRepo()
     const list<char*>& args = m_parser->otherArgs();
+    list<string> compatible_args;
     list<char*>::const_iterator it = args.begin();
 
-    if ( args.size() == 1 ) {
+    if ( update ) {
         for ( ; it != args.end(); ++it ) {
             string s = *it;
-            if ( !update && m_pkgDB->isInstalled( s ) ) {
-                cout << "package " << s << " is installed" << endl;
-                m_returnValue = PG_GENERAL_ERROR;
-                return;
-            } else if ( update && !m_pkgDB->isInstalled( s ) ) {
-                // can't upgrade
-                cout << "package " << s << " is not installed" << endl;
-                m_returnValue = PG_GENERAL_ERROR;
-                return;
-            }
+            if ( !m_pkgDB->isInstalled( s ) ) {
+		// can't upgrade what isn't installed
+                cout << "package " << s << " not installed; try prt-get install instead." << endl;
+            } else {
+	        compatible_args.push_back(s);
+	    }
         }
+    } else {
+        for ( ; it != args.end(); ++it ) {
+            string s = *it;
+            if ( m_pkgDB->isInstalled( s ) ) {
+		// pkgadd will fail on these, since it won't be given the -u flag
+                cout << "package " << s << " already installed; try prt-get update instead." << endl;
+            } else {
+		compatible_args.push_back(s);
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+
+    if ( compatible_args.size() < 1 ) {
+            m_returnValue = PG_GENERAL_ERROR ;
+            return;
     }
 
     initRepo();
 
     if (dependencies) {
         // calc dependencies
-        InstallTransaction depTransaction( m_parser->otherArgs(),
-                                           m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
+        InstallTransaction depTransaction( compatible_args, m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
         InstallTransaction::InstallResult result =
             depTransaction.calcDependencies();
 
@@ -652,8 +663,7 @@ void PrtGet::install( bool update, bool group, bool dependencies )
         InstallTransaction transaction( deps, m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
         executeTransaction( transaction, update, group );
     } else {
-        InstallTransaction transaction( m_parser->otherArgs(),
-                                        m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
+        InstallTransaction transaction( compatible_args, m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
         executeTransaction( transaction, update, group );
     }
 }