diff --git a/bin/xbps-pkgdb/main.c b/bin/xbps-pkgdb/main.c
index c2cea4c8064..9461199351d 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-pkgdb/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-pkgdb/main.c
@@ -48,35 +48,40 @@ write_plist_file(prop_dictionary_t dict, const char *file)
 static void
 usage(void)
 {
-	printf("usage: xbps-pkgdb [options] [action] [args]\n\n"
+	printf("usage: xbps-pkgdb [options] [action] [args]\n"
+	"\n"
 	"  Available actions:\n"
-	"    register, sanitize-plist, unregister, version\n"
+	"    getpkgname, getpkgversion, register, sanitize-plist\n"
+	"    unregister, version\n"
+	"\n"
 	"  Action arguments:\n"
+	"    getpkgname\t\t<string>\n"
+	"    getpkgversion\t<string>\n"
 	"    register\t\t<pkgname> <version> <shortdesc>\n"
 	"    sanitize-plist\t<plist>\n"
 	"    unregister\t\t<pkgname> <version>\n"
 	"    version\t\t<pkgname>\n"
-	"    getpkgversion\t<string>\n"
-	"    getpkgname\t\t<string>\n"
+	"\n"
 	"  Options shared by all actions:\n"
 	"    -r\t\t\t<rootdir>\n"
 	"\n"
 	"  Examples:\n"
+	"    $ xbps-pkgdb getpkgname foo-2.0\n"
+	"    $ xbps-pkgdb getpkgversion foo-2.0\n"
 	"    $ xbps-pkgdb register pkgname 2.0 \"A short description\"\n"
 	"    $ xbps-pkgdb sanitize-plist /blah/foo.plist\n"
 	"    $ xbps-pkgdb unregister pkgname 2.0\n"
-	"    $ xbps-pkgdb version pkgname\n"
-	"    $ xbps-pkgdb getpkgversion foo-2.0\n"
-	"    $ xbps-pkgdb getpkgname foo-2.0\n");
+	"    $ xbps-pkgdb version pkgname\n");
+
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	prop_dictionary_t dbdict = NULL, pkgdict;
+	prop_dictionary_t dict;
 	const char *version;
-	char *dbfile, *pkgname, *in_chroot_env, *root = NULL;
+	char *plist, *pkgname, *in_chroot_env, *root = NULL;
 	bool in_chroot = false;
 	int c, rv = 0;
 
@@ -101,8 +106,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (argc < 1)
 		usage();
 
-	dbfile = xbps_append_full_path(true, NULL, XBPS_REGPKGDB);
-	if (dbfile == NULL) {
+	plist = xbps_append_full_path(true, NULL, XBPS_REGPKGDB);
+	if (plist == NULL) {
 		printf("=> ERROR: couldn't find regpkdb file (%s)\n",
 		    strerror(errno));
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
@@ -136,7 +141,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (argc != 3)
 			usage();
 
-		if (!xbps_remove_pkg_dict_from_file(argv[1], dbfile)) {
+		if (!xbps_remove_pkg_dict_from_file(argv[1], plist)) {
 			if (errno == ENODEV)
 				printf("=> ERROR: %s not registered "
 				    "in database.\n", argv[1]);
@@ -155,39 +160,41 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (argc != 2)
 			usage();
 
-		dbdict = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_file(dbfile);
-		if (dbdict == NULL)
+		dict = xbps_find_pkg_from_plist(plist, argv[1]);
+		if (dict == NULL)
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
-		pkgdict = xbps_find_pkg_in_dict(dbdict, "packages", argv[1]);
-		if (pkgdict == NULL)
-			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-
-		if (!prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(pkgdict, "version",
+		if (!prop_dictionary_get_cstring_nocopy(dict, "version",
 		    &version))
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 		printf("%s\n", version);
+		prop_object_release(dict);
 
 	} else if (strcasecmp(argv[0], "sanitize-plist") == 0) {
-		/* Sanitize a plist file (indent the file properly) */
+		/* Sanitize a plist file (properly indent the file) */
 		if (argc != 2)
 			usage();
 
-		dbdict = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_file(argv[1]);
-		if (dbdict == NULL) {
+		dict = prop_dictionary_internalize_from_file(argv[1]);
+		if (dict == NULL) {
 			printf("=> ERROR: couldn't sanitize %s plist file "
 			    "(%s)\n", argv[1], strerror(errno));
 			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		}
-		write_plist_file(dbdict, argv[1]);
+		write_plist_file(dict, argv[1]);
 
 	} else if (strcasecmp(argv[0], "getpkgversion") == 0) {
 		/* Returns the version of a pkg string */
 		if (argc != 2)
 			usage();
 
-		printf("%s\n", xbps_get_pkg_version(argv[1]));
+		version = xbps_get_pkg_version(argv[1]);
+		if (version == NULL) {
+			printf("Invalid string, expected <string>-<version>\n");
+			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		}
+		printf("%s\n", version);
 
 	} else if (strcasecmp(argv[0], "getpkgname") == 0) {
 		/* Returns the name of a pkg string */
@@ -195,6 +202,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			usage();
 
 		pkgname = xbps_get_pkg_name(argv[1]);
+		if (pkgname == NULL) {
+			printf("Invalid string, expected <string>-<version>\n");
+			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		}
 		printf("%s\n", pkgname);
 		free(pkgname);