diff --git a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
index 568d6adb..99950f27 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-bin/install.c
@@ -474,7 +474,8 @@ replace_packages(prop_object_iterator_t iter, const char *pkgver)
 		prop_object_release(instd);
 
 		version = xbps_get_pkg_version(pkgver);
-		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg(reppkgn, version, false)) != 0) {
+		rv = xbps_remove_pkg(reppkgn, version, false, false);
+		if (rv != 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "xbps-bin: couldn't remove %s (%s)\n",
 			    reppkgn, strerror(rv));
 			return rv;
@@ -607,7 +608,7 @@ exec_transaction(struct transaction *trans)
 				printf("Removing %s-%s before installing new "
 				    "version ...\n", pkgname, instver);
 
-			rv = xbps_remove_pkg(pkgname, version, true);
+			rv = xbps_remove_pkg(pkgname, version, true, essential);
 			if (rv != 0) {
 				fprintf(stderr, "xbps-bin: error "
 				    "%s %s-%s (%s)\n", essential ?
diff --git a/bin/xbps-bin/remove.c b/bin/xbps-bin/remove.c
index bf5dea0f..9208fc5e 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-bin/remove.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-bin/remove.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ xbps_autoremove_pkgs(bool force)
 			goto out;
 		}
 		printf("Removing package %s-%s ...\n", pkgname, version);
-		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg(pkgname, version, false)) != 0)
+		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg(pkgname, version, false, false)) != 0)
 			goto out2;
 	}
 out2:
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ xbps_remove_installed_pkgs(int argc, char **argv, bool force)
 			continue;
 		prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(dict, "version", &version);
 		printf("Removing package %s-%s ...\n", argv[i], version);
-		if ((rv = xbps_remove_pkg(argv[i], version, false)) != 0) {
+		rv = xbps_remove_pkg(argv[i], version, false, false);
+		if (rv != 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "E: unable to remove %s-%s (%s).\n",
 			    argv[i], version, strerror(errno));
 			return rv;
diff --git a/include/xbps_api.h b/include/xbps_api.h
index 223ef16d..637f993b 100644
--- a/include/xbps_api.h
+++ b/include/xbps_api.h
@@ -640,10 +640,12 @@ void xbps_regpkgs_dictionary_release(void);
  * @param[in] update If true, and depending if \a pkgname is an
  * <em>essential</em> package, some steps will be skipped. See in the
  * detailed description section for more information.
+ * @param[in] essential Set it to true if \a pkgname is essential.
  *
  * @return 0 on success, or an errno value otherwise.
  */
-int xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version, bool update);
+int xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version,
+		    bool update, bool essential);
 
 /**
  * Remove files defined in a proplib array as specified by \a key
diff --git a/lib/remove.c b/lib/remove.c
index 7619710b..815d3552 100644
--- a/lib/remove.c
+++ b/lib/remove.c
@@ -174,13 +174,14 @@ xbps_remove_pkg_files(prop_dictionary_t dict, const char *key)
 }
 
 int
-xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version, bool update)
+xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version,
+		bool update, bool essential)
 {
-	prop_dictionary_t dict, pkgd;
+	prop_dictionary_t dict;
 	const char *rootdir = xbps_get_rootdir();
 	char *path, *buf;
 	int rv = 0;
-	bool essential = false, prepostf = false;
+	bool prepostf = false;
 
 	assert(pkgname != NULL);
 	assert(version != NULL);
@@ -188,12 +189,9 @@ xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version, bool update)
 	/*
 	 * Check if pkg is installed before anything else.
 	 */
-	if ((pkgd = xbps_find_pkg_dict_installed(pkgname, false)) == NULL)
+	if (!xbps_check_is_installed_pkgname(pkgname))
 		return ENOENT;
 
-	prop_dictionary_get_bool(pkgd, "essential", &essential);
-	prop_object_release(pkgd);
-
 	if (strcmp(rootdir, "") == 0)
 		rootdir = "/";
 
@@ -230,8 +228,10 @@ xbps_remove_pkg(const char *pkgname, const char *version, bool update)
 	 * entries and continue. Its files will be overwritten later in
 	 * the unpack phase.
 	 */
-	if (essential && update)
+	if (essential && update) {
+		free(buf);
 		return xbps_requiredby_pkg_remove(pkgname);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Remove links, files and dirs.