diff --git a/source/dub/dub.d b/source/dub/dub.d
index ec8e83f..ebb50da 100644
--- a/source/dub/dub.d
+++ b/source/dub/dub.d
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@
 	/// Loads a specific package as the main project package (can be a sub package)
 	void loadPackage(Package pack)
 	{
-		auto selections = Project.loadSelections(pack);
+		auto selections = Project.loadSelections(pack, m_packageManager);
 		m_project = new Project(m_packageManager, pack, selections);
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/dub/internal/configy/Read.d b/source/dub/internal/configy/Read.d
index 71f877f..cb07be2 100644
--- a/source/dub/internal/configy/Read.d
+++ b/source/dub/internal/configy/Read.d
@@ -296,11 +296,14 @@
 /// Ditto
 public Nullable!T parseConfigFileSimple (T) (in CLIArgs args, StrictMode strict = StrictMode.Error)
 {
+    return wrapException(parseConfigFile!T(args, strict));
+}
+
+/// Ditto
+public Nullable!T wrapException (T) (lazy T parseCall)
+{
     try
-    {
-        Node root = Loader.fromFile(args.config_path).load();
-        return nullable(parseConfig!T(args, root, strict));
-    }
+        return nullable(parseCall);
     catch (ConfigException exc)
     {
         exc.printException();
diff --git a/source/dub/packagemanager.d b/source/dub/packagemanager.d
index 3b071b8..d9fd001 100644
--- a/source/dub/packagemanager.d
+++ b/source/dub/packagemanager.d
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 import std.exception;
 import std.range;
 import std.string;
+import std.typecons;
 import std.zip;
 
 
@@ -1109,6 +1110,41 @@
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * Loads the selections file (`dub.selections.json`)
+	 *
+	 * The selections file is only used for the root package / project.
+	 * However, due to it being a filesystem interaction, it is managed
+	 * from the `PackageManager`.
+	 *
+	 * Under normal conditions, either `null` is returned (if no selection
+	 * file exists or parsing encountered an error), or a `SelectionFile`
+	 * is returned. Note that the returned `SelectionsFile` might use an
+	 * unsupported version (see `SelectionsFile` documentation).
+	 *
+	 * Note that this is currently not part of the public API, and won't be
+	 * until there is a clear need for it.
+	 *
+	 * Params:
+	 *   project = The `Package` for which to load a selection file.
+	 *
+	 * Returns:
+	 *   The parsed `SelectionsFile`, or a null instance if none exists.
+	 */
+	package final Nullable!SelectionsFile readSelections(in Package project) {
+		import dub.internal.configy.Read;
+
+		const path = (project.path ~ "dub.selections.json");
+		if (!this.existsFile(path))
+			return typeof(return).init;
+		const content = this.readText(path);
+		// TODO: Remove `StrictMode.Warn` after v1.40 release
+		// The default is to error, but as the previous parser wasn't
+		// complaining, we should first warn the user.
+		return wrapException(parseConfigString!SelectionsFile(
+			content, path.toNativeString(), StrictMode.Warn));
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * Writes the selections file (`dub.selections.json`)
 	 *
 	 * The selections file is only used for the root package / project.
diff --git a/source/dub/project.d b/source/dub/project.d
index 1a7016b..d733f35 100644
--- a/source/dub/project.d
+++ b/source/dub/project.d
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 	/// Ditto
 	this(PackageManager package_manager, Package pack)
 	{
-		auto selections = Project.loadSelections(pack);
+		auto selections = Project.loadSelections(pack, package_manager);
 		this(package_manager, pack, selections);
 	}
 
@@ -103,31 +103,22 @@
 	 * Returns:
 	 *	 Always a non-null instance.
 	 */
-	static package SelectedVersions loadSelections(in Package pack)
+	static package SelectedVersions loadSelections(in Package pack, PackageManager mgr)
 	{
 		import dub.version_;
 		import dub.internal.dyaml.stdsumtype;
 
-		auto selverfile = (pack.path ~ SelectedVersions.defaultFile).toNativeString();
-
-		// No file exists
-		if (!existsFile(selverfile))
-			return new SelectedVersions();
-
-		// TODO: Remove `StrictMode.Warn` after v1.40 release
-		// The default is to error, but as the previous parser wasn't
-		// complaining, we should first warn the user.
-		auto selected = parseConfigFileSimple!SelectionsFile(selverfile, StrictMode.Warn);
-
-		// Parsing error, it will be displayed to the user
+		auto selected = mgr.readSelections(pack);
+		// Parsing error that will be displayed to the user or just no selections
 		if (selected.isNull())
 			return new SelectedVersions();
 
 		return selected.get().content.match!(
 			(Selections!0 s) {
 				logWarnTag("Unsupported version",
-					"File %s has fileVersion %s, which is not yet supported by DUB %s.",
-					selverfile, s.fileVersion, dubVersion);
+					"File %s/dub.selections.json has fileVersion %s, which " ~
+					"is not yet supported by DUB %s.",
+					pack.path, s.fileVersion, dubVersion);
 				logWarn("Ignoring selections file. Use a newer DUB version " ~
 					"and set the appropriate toolchainRequirements in your recipe file");
 				return new SelectedVersions();
diff --git a/source/dub/test/base.d b/source/dub/test/base.d
index d61dc66..a17587f 100644
--- a/source/dub/test/base.d
+++ b/source/dub/test/base.d
@@ -282,16 +282,6 @@
         return new MockPackageSupplier(url);
     }
 
-	/// Loads a specific package as the main project package (can be a sub package)
-	public override void loadPackage(Package pack)
-	{
-        auto selections = this.packageManager.loadSelections(pack);
-		m_project = new Project(m_packageManager, pack, selections);
-	}
-
-	/// Reintroduce parent overloads
-	public alias loadPackage = Dub.loadPackage;
-
 	/**
 	 * Returns a fully typed `TestPackageManager`
 	 *
@@ -347,43 +337,6 @@
         super(local, user, system, false);
     }
 
-    /// Port of `Project.loadSelections`
-    SelectedVersions loadSelections(in Package pack)
-	{
-		import dub.version_;
-        import dub.internal.configy.Read;
-		import dub.internal.dyaml.stdsumtype;
-
-		auto selverfile = (pack.path ~ SelectedVersions.defaultFile);
-		// No file exists
-		if (!this.fs.existsFile(selverfile))
-			return new SelectedVersions();
-
-        SelectionsFile selected;
-        try
-        {
-            const content = this.fs.readText(selverfile);
-            selected = parseConfigString!SelectionsFile(
-                content, selverfile.toNativeString());
-        }
-        catch (Exception exc) {
-            logError("Error loading %s: %s", selverfile, exc.message());
-			return new SelectedVersions();
-        }
-
-		return selected.content.match!(
-			(Selections!0 s) {
-				logWarnTag("Unsupported version",
-					"File %s has fileVersion %s, which is not yet supported by DUB %s.",
-					selverfile, s.fileVersion, dubVersion);
-				logWarn("Ignoring selections file. Use a newer DUB version " ~
-					"and set the appropriate toolchainRequirements in your recipe file");
-				return new SelectedVersions();
-			},
-			(Selections!1 s) => new SelectedVersions(s),
-		);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Re-Implementation of `gitClone`.
 	 *