diff --git a/source/dub/commandline.d b/source/dub/commandline.d
index 342ec69..132e7c9 100644
--- a/source/dub/commandline.d
+++ b/source/dub/commandline.d
@@ -423,20 +423,17 @@
 			p.copyright = input("Copyright string", p.copyright);
 
 			while (true) {
-				auto dep = input("Add dependency (leave empty to skip)", null);
-				if (!dep.length) break;
-				auto vers = dub.listPackageVersions(dep);
-				if (!vers.length) {
-					logError("Could not find package '%s'.", dep);
-					continue;
+				auto depname = input("Add dependency (leave empty to skip)", null);
+				if (!depname.length) break;
+				try {
+					auto ver = dub.getLatestVersion(depname);
+					auto dep = ver.isBranch ? Dependency(ver) : Dependency("~>" ~ ver.toString());
+					p.buildSettings.dependencies[depname] =	dep;
+					logInfo("Added dependency %s %s", depname, dep.versionString);
+				} catch (Exception e) {
+					logError("Could not find package '%s'.", depname);
+					logDebug("Full error: %s", e.toString().sanitize);
 				}
-				string vstr;
-				auto final_versions = vers.filter!(v => !v.isBranch && !v.isBranch).array;
-				if (final_versions.length) vstr = "~>" ~ final_versions[$-1].toString();
-				else if (vers[$-1].isBranch) vstr = vers[$-1].toString();
-				else vstr = "~>" ~ vers[$-1].toString();
-				p.buildSettings.dependencies[dep] = Dependency(vstr);
-				logInfo("Added dependency %s %s", dep, vstr);
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index 9810643..eec2ce1 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -702,6 +702,14 @@
 			.filter!(t => t[1].length);
 	}
 
+	/** Returns a list of all available versions (including branches) for a
+		particular package.
+
+		The list returned is based on the registered package suppliers. Local
+		packages are not queried in the search for versions.
+
+		See_also: `getLatestVersion`
+	*/
 	Version[] listPackageVersions(string name)
 	{
 		Version[] versions;
@@ -714,6 +722,29 @@
 		return versions.sort().uniq.array;
 	}
 
+	/** Returns the latest available version for a particular package.
+
+		This function returns the latest numbered version of a package. If no
+		numbered versions are available, it will return an available branch,
+		preferring "~master".
+
+		Params:
+			package_name: The name of the package in question.
+			prefer_stable: If set to `true` (the default), returns the latest
+				stable version, even if there are newer pre-release versions.
+
+		See_also: `listPackageVersions`
+	*/
+	Version getLatestVersion(string package_name, bool prefer_stable = true)
+	{
+		auto vers = listPackageVersions(package_name);
+		enforce(!vers.empty, "Failed to find any valid versions for a package name of '"~package_name~"'.");
+		auto final_versions = vers.filter!(v => !v.isBranch && !v.isPreRelease).array;
+		if (prefer_stable && final_versions.length) return final_versions[$-1];
+		else if (vers[$-1].isBranch) return vers[$-1];
+		else return vers[$-1];
+	}
+
 	void createEmptyPackage(Path path, string[] deps, string type, PackageFormat format = PackageFormat.sdl, scope void delegate(ref PackageRecipe) recipe_callback = null)
 	{
 		if (!path.absolute) path = m_rootPath ~ path;
@@ -721,15 +752,16 @@
 
 		string[string] depVers;
 		string[] notFound; // keep track of any failed packages in here
-		foreach(dep; deps){
-			auto vers = listPackageVersions(dep);
-			if (vers.length == 0) notFound ~= dep;
-			else {
-				auto v = vers[$-1];
-				if (v.isBranch()) depVers[dep] = v.toString();
-				else depVers[dep] = "~>" ~ v.toString();
+		foreach (dep; deps) {
+			Version ver;
+			try {
+				ver = getLatestVersion(dep);
+				depVers[dep] = ver.isBranch ? ver.toString() : "~>" ~ ver.toString();
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				notFound ~= dep;
 			}
 		}
+
 		if(notFound.length > 1){
 			throw new Exception(.format("Couldn't find packages: %-(%s, %).", notFound));
 		}