diff --git a/lib/resolve.js b/lib/resolve.js
index cd743b9ad0..8f779e4578 100644
--- a/lib/resolve.js
+++ b/lib/resolve.js
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-var join = require('path').join
-var url = require('url')
-var enc = global.encodeURIComponent
-var got = require('./got')
-var config = require('./config')
+var resolveNpm = require('./resolve/npm')
 
 /**
  * Resolves a package in the NPM registry. Done as part of `install()`.
@@ -10,8 +6,7 @@ var config = require('./config')
  *     var npa = require('npm-package-arg')
  *     resolve(npa('rimraf@2'))
  *       .then((res) => {
- *         res.name == 'rimraf'
- *         res.version == '2.5.1'
+ *         res.fullname == 'rimraf@2.5.1'
  *         res.dist == {
  *           shasum: '0a1b2c...'
  *           tarball: 'http://...'
@@ -20,58 +15,9 @@ var config = require('./config')
  */
 
 module.exports = function resolve (pkg) {
-  // { raw: 'rimraf@2', scope: null, name: 'rimraf', rawSpec: '2' || '' }
-  return Promise.resolve()
-    .then(_ => toUri(pkg))
-    .then(url => got(url))
-    .then(res => JSON.parse(res.body))
-    .then(res => {
-      return {
-        fullname: '' + res.name.replace('/', '!') + '@' + res.version,
-        dist: res.dist
-      }
-    })
-    .catch(errify)
-
-  function errify (err) {
-    if (err.statusCode === 404) {
-      throw new Error("Module '" + pkg.raw + "' not found")
-    }
-    throw err
+  if (pkg.type === 'range' || pkg.type === 'version' || pkg.type === 'tag') {
+    return resolveNpm(pkg)
+  } else {
+    throw new Error('' + pkg + ': ' + pkg.type + ' packages not supported')
   }
 }
-
-/**
- * Converts package data (from `npa()`) to a URI
- *
- *     toUri({ name: 'rimraf', rawSpec: '2' })
- *     // => 'https://registry.npmjs.org/rimraf/2'
- */
-
-function toUri (pkg) {
-  // TODO: handle scoped packages
-  var name, uri
-
-  if (pkg.name.substr(0, 1) === '@') {
-    name = '@' + enc(pkg.name.substr(1))
-  } else {
-    name = enc(pkg.name)
-  }
-
-  if (pkg.rawSpec.length) {
-    uri = join(name, enc(pkg.rawSpec))
-  } else {
-    if (pkg.name.substr(0, 1) === '@') {
-      // the npm registry doesn't support resolutions of dist tags of scoped packages.
-      // This means you can't do `pnpm install @rstacruz/tap-spec` or `pnpm
-      // install @rstacruz/tap-spec@latest`. As a workaround, we'll use.
-      // OK - https://registry.npmjs.org/@rstacruz%2Ftap-spec/*
-      // Nope - https://registry.npmjs.org/@rstacruz%2Ftap-spec/latest
-      uri = join(name, '*')
-    } else {
-      uri = join(name, 'latest')
-    }
-  }
-
-  return url.resolve(config.registry, uri)
-}
diff --git a/lib/resolve/npm.js b/lib/resolve/npm.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a4bb875bea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/resolve/npm.js
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+var join = require('path').join
+var url = require('url')
+var enc = global.encodeURIComponent
+var got = require('../got')
+var config = require('../config')
+
+/**
+ * Resolves a package in the NPM registry. Done as part of `install()`.
+ *
+ *     var npa = require('npm-package-arg')
+ *     resolve(npa('rimraf@2'))
+ *       .then((res) => {
+ *         res.fullname == 'rimraf@2.5.1'
+ *         res.dist == {
+ *           shasum: '0a1b2c...'
+ *           tarball: 'http://...'
+ *         }
+ *       })
+ */
+
+module.exports = function resolveNpm (pkg) {
+  // { raw: 'rimraf@2', scope: null, name: 'rimraf', rawSpec: '2' || '' }
+  return Promise.resolve()
+    .then(_ => toUri(pkg))
+    .then(url => got(url))
+    .then(res => JSON.parse(res.body))
+    .then(res => {
+      return {
+        fullname: '' + res.name.replace('/', '!') + '@' + res.version,
+        dist: res.dist
+      }
+    })
+    .catch(errify)
+
+  function errify (err) {
+    if (err.statusCode === 404) {
+      throw new Error("Module '" + pkg.raw + "' not found")
+    }
+    throw err
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Converts package data (from `npa()`) to a URI
+ *
+ *     toUri({ name: 'rimraf', rawSpec: '2' })
+ *     // => 'https://registry.npmjs.org/rimraf/2'
+ */
+
+function toUri (pkg) {
+  // TODO: handle scoped packages
+  var name, uri
+
+  if (pkg.name.substr(0, 1) === '@') {
+    name = '@' + enc(pkg.name.substr(1))
+  } else {
+    name = enc(pkg.name)
+  }
+
+  if (pkg.rawSpec.length) {
+    uri = join(name, enc(pkg.rawSpec))
+  } else {
+    if (pkg.name.substr(0, 1) === '@') {
+      // the npm registry doesn't support resolutions of dist tags of scoped packages.
+      // This means you can't do `pnpm install @rstacruz/tap-spec` or `pnpm
+      // install @rstacruz/tap-spec@latest`. As a workaround, we'll use.
+      // OK - https://registry.npmjs.org/@rstacruz%2Ftap-spec/*
+      // Nope - https://registry.npmjs.org/@rstacruz%2Ftap-spec/latest
+      uri = join(name, '*')
+    } else {
+      uri = join(name, 'latest')
+    }
+  }
+
+  return url.resolve(config.registry, uri)
+}