diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h b/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
index a3fec62bdc..bc4819f589 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageInfo.h
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ public:
 									bool revisionIsOptional,
 									BPackageVersion& _version,
 									ParseErrorListener* listener = NULL);
+	static	status_t			ParseResolvableString(
+									const BString& string,
+									BPackageResolvable& _expression,
+									ParseErrorListener* listener = NULL);
 	static	status_t			ParseResolvableExpressionString(
 									const BString& string,
 									BPackageResolvableExpression& _expression,
diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
index fe4eca0856..13467f4022 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageResolvable.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ public:
 
 			BString				ToString() const;
 
+			status_t			SetToString(const BString& expressionString);
 			void				SetTo(const BString& name,
 									const BPackageVersion& version
 										= BPackageVersion(),
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
index 9fe1ce5b43..2982662338 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageInfo.cpp
@@ -1156,6 +1156,14 @@ BPackageInfo::ParseVersionString(const BString& string, bool revisionIsOptional,
 }
 
 
+/*static*/ status_t
+BPackageInfo::ParseResolvableString(const BString& string,
+	BPackageResolvable& _expression, ParseErrorListener* listener)
+{
+	return Parser(listener).ParseResolvable(string, _expression);
+}
+
+
 /*static*/ status_t
 BPackageInfo::ParseResolvableExpressionString(const BString& string,
 	BPackageResolvableExpression& _expression, ParseErrorListener* listener)
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.cpp
index 7035bc9b0c..26feb1f4eb 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.cpp
@@ -106,6 +106,31 @@ BPackageInfo::Parser::ParseVersion(const BString& versionString,
 }
 
 
+status_t
+BPackageInfo::Parser::ParseResolvable(const BString& expressionString,
+	BPackageResolvable& _expression)
+{
+	fPos = expressionString.String();
+
+	try {
+		Token token(TOKEN_STRING, fPos, expressionString.Length());
+		_ParseResolvable(_NextToken(), _expression);
+	} catch (const ParseError& error) {
+		if (fListener != NULL) {
+			int32 offset = error.pos - expressionString.String();
+			fListener->OnError(error.message, 1, offset);
+		}
+		return B_BAD_DATA;
+	} catch (const std::bad_alloc& e) {
+		if (fListener != NULL)
+			fListener->OnError("out of memory", 0, 0);
+		return B_NO_MEMORY;
+	}
+
+	return B_OK;
+}
+
+
 status_t
 BPackageInfo::Parser::ParseResolvableExpression(const BString& expressionString,
 	BPackageResolvableExpression& _expression)
@@ -427,6 +452,50 @@ BPackageInfo::Parser::_ParseVersionValue(Token& word, BPackageVersion* value,
 }
 
 
+void
+BPackageInfo::Parser::_ParseResolvable(const Token& token,
+	BPackageResolvable& _value)
+{
+	if (token.type != TOKEN_STRING) {
+		throw ParseError("expected word (a resolvable name)",
+			token.pos);
+	}
+
+	int32 errorPos;
+	if (!_IsValidResolvableName(token.text, &errorPos)) {
+		throw ParseError("invalid character in resolvable name",
+			token.pos + errorPos);
+	}
+
+	// parse version
+	BPackageVersion version;
+	Token op = _NextToken();
+	if (op.type == TOKEN_OPERATOR_ASSIGN) {
+		_ParseVersionValue(&version, true);
+	} else if (op.type == TOKEN_ITEM_SEPARATOR
+		|| op.type == TOKEN_CLOSE_BRACE || op.type == TOKEN_EOF) {
+		_RewindTo(op);
+	} else
+		throw ParseError("expected '=', comma or '}'", op.pos);
+
+	// parse compatible version
+	BPackageVersion compatibleVersion;
+	Token compatible = _NextToken();
+	if (compatible.type == TOKEN_STRING
+		&& (compatible.text == "compat"
+			|| compatible.text == "compatible")) {
+		op = _NextToken();
+		if (op.type == TOKEN_OPERATOR_GREATER_EQUAL) {
+			_ParseVersionValue(&compatibleVersion, true);
+		} else
+			_RewindTo(compatible);
+	} else
+		_RewindTo(compatible);
+
+	_value.SetTo(token.text, version, compatibleVersion);
+}
+
+
 void
 BPackageInfo::Parser::_ParseResolvableExpression(const Token& token,
 	BPackageResolvableExpression& _value, BString* _basePackage)
@@ -611,44 +680,9 @@ BPackageInfo::Parser::_ParseResolvableList(
 
 		virtual void operator()(const Token& token)
 		{
-			if (token.type != TOKEN_STRING) {
-				throw ParseError("expected word (a resolvable name)",
-					token.pos);
-			}
-
-			int32 errorPos;
-			if (!_IsValidResolvableName(token.text, &errorPos)) {
-				throw ParseError("invalid character in resolvable name",
-					token.pos + errorPos);
-			}
-
-			// parse version
-			BPackageVersion version;
-			Token op = parser._NextToken();
-			if (op.type == TOKEN_OPERATOR_ASSIGN) {
-				parser._ParseVersionValue(&version, true);
-			} else if (op.type == TOKEN_ITEM_SEPARATOR
-				|| op.type == TOKEN_CLOSE_BRACE) {
-				parser._RewindTo(op);
-			} else
-				throw ParseError("expected '=', comma or '}'", op.pos);
-
-			// parse compatible version
-			BPackageVersion compatibleVersion;
-			Token compatible = parser._NextToken();
-			if (compatible.type == TOKEN_STRING
-				&& (compatible.text == "compat"
-					|| compatible.text == "compatible")) {
-				op = parser._NextToken();
-				if (op.type == TOKEN_OPERATOR_GREATER_EQUAL) {
-					parser._ParseVersionValue(&compatibleVersion, true);
-				} else
-					parser._RewindTo(compatible);
-			} else
-				parser._RewindTo(compatible);
-
-			value->AddItem(new BPackageResolvable(token.text, version,
-				compatibleVersion));
+			BPackageResolvable expression;
+			parser._ParseResolvable(token, expression);
+			value->AddItem(new BPackageResolvable(expression));
 		}
 	} resolvableParser(*this, value);
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.h b/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.h
index 53195587c7..1ea542a955 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.h
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageInfoParser.h
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ public:
 			status_t			ParseVersion(const BString& versionString,
 									bool revisionIsOptional,
 									BPackageVersion& _version);
+			status_t			ParseResolvable(
+									const BString& expressionString,
+									BPackageResolvable& _expression);
 			status_t			ParseResolvableExpression(
 									const BString& expressionString,
 									BPackageResolvableExpression& _expression);
@@ -69,6 +72,9 @@ private:
 	static	void				_ParseVersionValue(Token& word,
 									BPackageVersion* value,
 									bool revisionIsOptional);
+			void				_ParseResolvable(
+									const Token& token,
+									BPackageResolvable& _value);
 			void				_ParseResolvableExpression(
 									const Token& token,
 									BPackageResolvableExpression& _value,
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
index b604303b5f..cebb6b5e88 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageResolvable.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <package/PackageResolvable.h>
 
 #include <package/hpkg/PackageInfoAttributeValue.h>
+#include <package/PackageInfo.h>
 
 
 namespace BPackageKit {
@@ -81,6 +82,18 @@ BPackageResolvable::ToString() const
 }
 
 
+status_t
+BPackageResolvable::SetToString(const BString& expressionString)
+{
+	fName.Truncate(0);
+	fVersion.Clear();
+	fCompatibleVersion.Clear();
+
+	return BPackageInfo::ParseResolvableString(expressionString,
+		*this);
+}
+
+
 void
 BPackageResolvable::SetTo(const BString& name, const BPackageVersion& version,
 	const BPackageVersion& compatibleVersion)