diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.cpp
index a08ea6dd4c..8bf1c17741 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.cpp
@@ -60,3 +60,23 @@ Dependency::ResolvableVersionMatches(Version* resolvableVersion) const
 	return resolvableVersion != NULL
 		&& fVersion->Compare(fVersionOperator, *resolvableVersion);
 }
+
+
+bool
+Dependency::ResolvableCompatibleVersionMatches(Version* resolvableVersion) const
+{
+	if (fVersion == NULL)
+		return true;
+
+	// Only compare the versions, if the operator indicates that our version is
+	// some kind of minimum required version. Only in that case the resolvable's
+	// actual version is required to be greater (or equal) and the backwards
+	// compatibility check makes sense.
+	if (fVersionOperator == B_PACKAGE_RESOLVABLE_OP_GREATER_EQUAL
+		|| fVersionOperator == B_PACKAGE_RESOLVABLE_OP_GREATER) {
+		return resolvableVersion != NULL
+			&& fVersion->Compare(fVersionOperator, *resolvableVersion);
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.h
index 0da11cc3d1..bab31c2d5b 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Dependency.h
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ public:
 									{ return fResolvable; }
 			bool				ResolvableVersionMatches(
 									Version* resolvableVersion) const;
+			bool				ResolvableCompatibleVersionMatches(
+									Version* resolvableVersion) const;
 
 			const char*			Name() const	{ return fName; }
 
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.cpp
index 4af0036c42..43a7414d0f 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ Resolvable::Resolvable(::Package* package)
 	fPackage(package),
 	fFamily(NULL),
 	fName(NULL),
-	fVersion(NULL)
+	fVersion(NULL),
+	fCompatibleVersion(NULL)
 {
 }
 
@@ -25,13 +26,16 @@ Resolvable::~Resolvable()
 {
 	free(fName);
 	delete fVersion;
+	delete fCompatibleVersion;
 }
 
 
 status_t
-Resolvable::Init(const char* name, ::Version* version)
+Resolvable::Init(const char* name, ::Version* version,
+	::Version* compatibleVersion)
 {
 	fVersion = version;
+	fCompatibleVersion = compatibleVersion;
 
 	fName = strdup(name);
 	if (fName == NULL)
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.h b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.h
index 302765e2cf..87d4509f61 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.h
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Resolvable.h
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ public:
 								Resolvable(::Package* package);
 	virtual						~Resolvable();
 
-			status_t			Init(const char* name, ::Version* version);
-									// version is optional; object takes over
-									// ownership (even in case of error)
+			status_t			Init(const char* name, ::Version* version,
+									::Version* compatibleVersion);
+									// version and compatibleVersion are
+									// optional; object takes over ownership
+									// (even in case of error)
 
 			::Package*			Package() const	{ return fPackage; }
 
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ public:
 
 			const char*			Name() const	{ return fName; }
 			::Version*			Version() const	{ return fVersion; }
+			::Version*			CompatibleVersion() const
+									{ return fCompatibleVersion; }
 
 			void				AddDependency(Dependency* dependency);
 			void				RemoveDependency(Dependency* dependency);
@@ -48,6 +52,7 @@ private:
 			ResolvableFamily*	fFamily;
 			char*				fName;
 			::Version*			fVersion;
+			::Version*			fCompatibleVersion;
 			ResolvableDependencyList fDependencies;
 
 public:	// conceptually package private
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/ResolvableFamily.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/ResolvableFamily.cpp
index c237cd59db..f396eb6b03 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/ResolvableFamily.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/ResolvableFamily.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ ResolvableFamily::ResolveDependency(Dependency* dependency)
 {
 	for (FamilyResolvableList::Iterator it = fResolvables.GetIterator();
 			Resolvable* resolvable = it.Next();) {
-		if (dependency->ResolvableVersionMatches(resolvable->Version())) {
+		if (dependency->ResolvableVersionMatches(resolvable->Version())
+			&& dependency->ResolvableCompatibleVersionMatches(
+				resolvable->CompatibleVersion())) {
 			resolvable->AddDependency(dependency);
 			return true;
 		}
diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Volume.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Volume.cpp
index 1733b9a27c..b7cee76095 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Volume.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/file_systems/packagefs/Volume.cpp
@@ -318,6 +318,20 @@ struct Volume::PackageLoaderContentHandler : BPackageContentHandler {
 				}
 				ObjectDeleter<Version> versionDeleter(version);
 
+				// create a version object, if a compatible version is specified
+				Version* compatibleVersion = NULL;
+				if (value.resolvable.haveCompatibleVersion) {
+					const BPackageVersionData& versionInfo
+						= value.resolvable.compatibleVersion;
+					status_t error = Version::Create(versionInfo.major,
+						versionInfo.minor, versionInfo.micro,
+						versionInfo.preRelease, versionInfo.release, version);
+					if (error != B_OK)
+						RETURN_ERROR(error);
+				}
+				ObjectDeleter<Version> compatibleVersionDeleter(
+					compatibleVersion);
+
 				// create the resolvable
 				Resolvable* resolvable = new(std::nothrow) Resolvable(fPackage);
 				if (resolvable == NULL)
@@ -325,7 +339,7 @@ struct Volume::PackageLoaderContentHandler : BPackageContentHandler {
 				ObjectDeleter<Resolvable> resolvableDeleter(resolvable);
 
 				status_t error = resolvable->Init(value.resolvable.name,
-					versionDeleter.Detach());
+					versionDeleter.Detach(), compatibleVersionDeleter.Detach());
 				if (error != B_OK)
 					RETURN_ERROR(error);