diff --git a/libpkgconf/dependency.c b/libpkgconf/dependency.c
index 1a4ec68..cd01a06 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/dependency.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/dependency.c
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ pkgconf_dependency_free(pkgconf_list_t *list)
 	{
 		pkgconf_dependency_t *dep = node->data;
 
+		if (dep->match != NULL)
+			pkgconf_pkg_unref(NULL, dep->match);
+
 		if (dep->package != NULL)
 			free(dep->package);
 
diff --git a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
index 30f52a7..85d6ae2 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
+++ b/libpkgconf/libpkgconf.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ struct pkgconf_dependency_ {
 	pkgconf_pkg_comparator_t compare;
 	char *version;
 	pkgconf_pkg_t *parent;
+	pkgconf_pkg_t *match;
 };
 
 struct pkgconf_tuple_ {
diff --git a/libpkgconf/pkg.c b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
index f883623..0e8c39f 100644
--- a/libpkgconf/pkg.c
+++ b/libpkgconf/pkg.c
@@ -1273,6 +1273,12 @@ pkgconf_pkg_verify_dependency(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_dependency_t *pk
 
 	PKGCONF_TRACE(client, "trying to verify dependency: %s", pkgdep->package);
 
+	if (pkgdep->match != NULL)
+	{
+		PKGCONF_TRACE(client, "cached dependency: %s -> %s@%p", pkgdep->package, pkgdep->match->id, pkgdep->match);
+		return pkgconf_pkg_ref(client, pkgdep->match);
+	}
+
 	pkg = pkgconf_pkg_find(client, pkgdep->package);
 	if (pkg == NULL)
 	{
@@ -1290,11 +1296,13 @@ pkgconf_pkg_verify_dependency(pkgconf_client_t *client, pkgconf_dependency_t *pk
 	if (pkg->id == NULL)
 		pkg->id = strdup(pkgdep->package);
 
-	if (pkgconf_pkg_comparator_impls[pkgdep->compare](pkg->version, pkgdep->version) == true)
-		return pkg;
-
-	if (eflags != NULL)
-		*eflags |= PKGCONF_PKG_ERRF_PACKAGE_VER_MISMATCH;
+	if (pkgconf_pkg_comparator_impls[pkgdep->compare](pkg->version, pkgdep->version) != true)
+	{
+		if (eflags != NULL)
+			*eflags |= PKGCONF_PKG_ERRF_PACKAGE_VER_MISMATCH;
+	}
+	else
+		pkgdep->match = pkgconf_pkg_ref(client, pkg);
 
 	return pkg;
 }