diff --git a/lib/package_configure.c b/lib/package_configure.c
index 7294f74e..9e0d4a88 100644
--- a/lib/package_configure.c
+++ b/lib/package_configure.c
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ xbps_configure_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 {
 	prop_dictionary_t pkgd, pkgmetad;
 	const char *version, *pkgver;
+	char *plist;
 	int rv = 0;
 	pkg_state_t state = 0;
 
@@ -110,7 +111,10 @@ xbps_configure_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 
 	xbps_set_cb_state(xhp, XBPS_STATE_CONFIGURE, 0, pkgname, version, NULL);
 
-	pkgmetad = xbps_metadir_get_pkgd(xhp, pkgname);
+	/* internalize pkg dictionary from metadir */
+	plist = xbps_xasprintf("%s/.%s.plist", xhp->metadir, pkgname);
+	pkgmetad = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_file(plist);
+	free(plist);
 	assert(pkgmetad);
 
 	rv = xbps_pkg_exec_script(xhp, pkgmetad, "install-script", "post", update);
diff --git a/lib/package_remove.c b/lib/package_remove.c
index 53e92763..81cd12c4 100644
--- a/lib/package_remove.c
+++ b/lib/package_remove.c
@@ -241,7 +241,11 @@ xbps_remove_pkg(struct xbps_handle *xhp,
 		    pkgver, xhp->rootdir, strerror(rv));
 		goto out;
 	}
-	pkgd = xbps_metadir_get_pkgd(xhp, pkgname);
+
+	/* internalize pkg dictionary from metadir */
+	buf = xbps_xasprintf("%s/.%s.plist", xhp->metadir, pkgname);
+	pkgd = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_file(buf);
+	free(buf);
 	if (pkgd == NULL)
 		xbps_dbg_printf(xhp, "WARNING: metaplist for %s "
 		    "doesn't exist!\n", pkgname);