diff --git a/lib/libalpm/conflict.c b/lib/libalpm/conflict.c
index 46d1f22..5817094 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/conflict.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/conflict.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ static void add_conflict(alpm_list_t **baddeps, const char *pkg1,
  * @param *baddeps list to store conflicts
  * @param order if >= 0 the conflict order is preserved, if < 0 it's reversed
  */
-static void check_conflict(alpm_list_t *list1, alpm_list_t *list2,
+void check_conflict(alpm_list_t *list1, alpm_list_t *list2,
 		alpm_list_t **baddeps, int order) {
 	alpm_list_t *i, *j, *k;
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/conflict.h b/lib/libalpm/conflict.h
index 8928de8..c7ddf8c 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/conflict.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/conflict.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ struct __pmconflict_t {
 	char ctarget[PKG_NAME_LEN];
 };
 
+void check_conflict(alpm_list_t *list1, alpm_list_t *list2,                     
+                alpm_list_t **baddeps, int order);
 alpm_list_t *_alpm_checkconflicts(pmdb_t *db, alpm_list_t *packages);
 alpm_list_t *_alpm_db_find_conflicts(pmdb_t *db, pmtrans_t *trans, char *root);
 
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/sync.c b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
index 6f48699..30a4580 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
@@ -467,177 +467,106 @@ int _alpm_sync_prepare(pmtrans_t *trans, pmdb_t *db_local, alpm_list_t *dbs_sync
 		EVENT(trans, PM_TRANS_EVT_INTERCONFLICTS_START, NULL, NULL);
 
 		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "looking for conflicts");
-		deps = _alpm_checkconflicts(db_local, list);
-		if(deps) {
-			int errorout = 0;
-			alpm_list_t *asked = NULL;
-
-			for(i = deps; i && !errorout; i = i->next) {
-				pmdepmissing_t *miss = i->data;
-				pmsyncpkg_t *sync;
-				pmpkg_t *found = NULL;
-
-				_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "package '%s' conflicts with '%s'",
-				          miss->target, miss->depend.name);
-				/* check if the conflicting package is about to be removed/replaced.
-				 * if so, then just ignore it. */
-				for(j = trans->packages; j && !found; j = j->next) {
-					sync = j->data;
-					if(sync->type == PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE) {
-						found = _alpm_pkg_find(miss->depend.name, sync->data);
-					}
-				}
-				if(found) {
-					_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "'%s' is already elected for removal -- skipping",
-							alpm_pkg_get_name(found));
-					continue;
-				}
 
-				sync = _alpm_sync_find(trans->packages, miss->target);
-				if(sync == NULL) {
-					_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "'%s' not found in transaction set -- skipping",
-					          miss->target);
-					continue;
-				}
-				pmpkg_t *local = _alpm_db_get_pkgfromcache(db_local, miss->depend.name);
-				/* check if this package provides the package it's conflicting with */
-				if(alpm_list_find_str(alpm_pkg_get_provides(sync->pkg),
-							miss->depend.name)) {
-					/* treat like a replaces item so requiredby fields are
-					 * inherited properly. */
-					_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "package '%s' provides its own conflict",
-							miss->target);
-					if(!local) {
-						char *rmpkg = NULL;
-						int target, depend;
-						/* hmmm, depend.name isn't installed, so it must be conflicting
-						 * with another package in our final list.  For example:
-						 *
-						 *     pacman -S blackbox xfree86
-						 *
-						 * If no x-servers are installed and blackbox pulls in xorg, then
-						 * xorg and xfree86 will conflict with each other.  In this case,
-						 * we should follow the user's preference and rip xorg out of final,
-						 * opting for xfree86 instead.
-						 */
+		/* 1. check for conflicts in the target list (and resolve) */
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "check targets vs targets");
+		check_conflict(list, list, &deps, 0);
 
-						/* figure out which one was requested in targets. If they both
-						 * were, then it's still an unresolvable conflict. */
-						target = alpm_list_find_str(trans->targets, miss->target);
-						depend = alpm_list_find_str(trans->targets, miss->depend.name);
-						if(depend && !target) {
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "'%s' is in the target list -- keeping it",
-								miss->depend.name);
-							/* remove miss->target */
-							rmpkg = miss->target;
-						} else if(target && !depend) {
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "'%s' is in the target list -- keeping it",
-								miss->target);
-							/* remove miss->depend.name */
-							rmpkg = miss->depend.name;
-						} else {
-							/* miss->depend.name is not needed, miss->target already provides
-							 * it, let's resolve the conflict */
-							rmpkg = miss->depend.name;
-						}
-						if(rmpkg) {
-							pmsyncpkg_t *rsync = _alpm_sync_find(trans->packages, rmpkg);
-							void *vpkg;
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "removing '%s' from target list",
-									rsync->pkg->name);
-							trans->packages = alpm_list_remove(trans->packages, rsync,
-									syncpkg_cmp, &vpkg);
-							_alpm_sync_free(vpkg);
-							continue;
-						}
-					}
+		for(i = deps; i; i = i->next) {
+			pmdepmissing_t *miss = i->data;
+			pmsyncpkg_t *rsync;
+
+			/* have we already removed one of the conflicting targets? */
+			if(!_alpm_sync_find(trans->packages, miss->target) ||
+			   !(rsync = _alpm_sync_find(trans->packages, miss->depend.name))) {
+				continue;
+			}	
+			
+			_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "conflicting packages in the sync list: '%s' <-> '%s'",
+				  miss->target, miss->depend.name);
+			/* we remove miss->depend.name, TODO: let user choose */
+			_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "removing '%s' from target list", rsync->pkg->name);
+			pmsyncpkg_t *vpkg;
+			trans->packages = alpm_list_remove(trans->packages, rsync,
+								syncpkg_cmp, &vpkg);
+			list = alpm_list_remove(list, vpkg->pkg, _alpm_pkg_cmp, NULL);
+			_alpm_sync_free(vpkg);
+			continue;
+		}	
+
+		FREELIST(deps);
+		deps = NULL;
+
+		/* 2. we check for target vs db conflicts (and resolve)*/
+		alpm_list_t *dblist = alpm_list_diff(_alpm_db_get_pkgcache(db_local), list, _alpm_pkg_cmp);
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "check targets vs db");
+		check_conflict(list, dblist, &deps, 1);
+		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "check db vs targets");
+		check_conflict(dblist, list, &deps, -1);
+		alpm_list_free(dblist);
+
+		for(i = deps; i; i = i->next) {
+			pmdepmissing_t *miss = i->data;
+
+			/* if miss->depend.name (the local package) is not elected for removal,
+			   we ask the user */
+			int found = 0;
+			for(j = trans->packages; j && !found; j = j->next) {
+				pmsyncpkg_t *sync = j->data;
+				if(sync->type == PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE) {
+					found = _alpm_pkg_find(miss->depend.name, sync->data);
 				}
-				/* It's a conflict -- see if they want to remove it */
-				_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "resolving package '%s' conflict",
-						miss->target);
-				if(local) {
-					int doremove = 0;
-					if(!alpm_list_find_str(asked, miss->depend.name)) {
-						QUESTION(trans, PM_TRANS_CONV_CONFLICT_PKG, miss->target,
+			}
+			if(found) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "package '%s' conflicts with '%s'",
+				  miss->target, miss->depend.name);
+
+			pmsyncpkg_t *sync = _alpm_sync_find(trans->packages, miss->target);
+			pmpkg_t *local = _alpm_db_get_pkgfromcache(db_local, miss->depend.name);
+			int doremove = 0;
+			QUESTION(trans, PM_TRANS_CONV_CONFLICT_PKG, miss->target,
 								miss->depend.name, NULL, &doremove);
-						asked = alpm_list_add(asked, strdup(miss->depend.name));
-						if(doremove) {
-							pmpkg_t *q = _alpm_pkg_dup(local);
-							q->requiredby = alpm_list_strdup(alpm_pkg_get_requiredby(local));
-							if(sync->type != PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE) {
-								/* switch this sync type to REPLACE */
-								sync->type = PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE;
-								_alpm_pkg_free(sync->data);
-								sync->data = NULL;
-							}
-							/* append to the replaces list */
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "electing '%s' for removal",
-									miss->depend.name);
-							sync->data = alpm_list_add(sync->data, q);
-							/* see if the package is in the current target list */
-							pmsyncpkg_t *rsync = _alpm_sync_find(trans->packages,
-									miss->depend.name);
-							if(rsync) {
-								/* remove it from the target list */
-								void *vpkg;
-								_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "removing '%s' from target list",
-										miss->depend.name);
-								trans->packages = alpm_list_remove(trans->packages, rsync,
-										syncpkg_cmp, &vpkg);
-								_alpm_sync_free(vpkg);
-							}
-						} else {
-							/* abort */
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("unresolvable package conflicts detected"));
-							errorout = 1;
-							if(data) {
-								if((miss = malloc(sizeof(pmdepmissing_t))) == NULL) {
-									_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("malloc failure: could not allocate %d bytes"), sizeof(pmdepmissing_t));
-									FREELIST(*data);
-									pm_errno = PM_ERR_MEMORY;
-									ret = -1;
-									goto cleanup;
-								}
-								*miss = *(pmdepmissing_t *)i->data;
-								*data = alpm_list_add(*data, miss);
-							}
-						}
-					}
-				} else {
-					_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("unresolvable package conflicts detected"));
-					errorout = 1;
-					if(data) {
-						if((miss = malloc(sizeof(pmdepmissing_t))) == NULL) {
-							_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("malloc failure: could not allocate %d bytes"), sizeof(pmdepmissing_t));
-							FREELIST(*data);
-							pm_errno = PM_ERR_MEMORY;
-							ret = -1;
-							goto cleanup;
-						}
-						*miss = *(pmdepmissing_t *)i->data;
-						*data = alpm_list_add(*data, miss);
+			if(doremove) {
+				pmpkg_t *q = _alpm_pkg_dup(local);
+				q->requiredby = alpm_list_strdup(alpm_pkg_get_requiredby(local));
+				if(sync->type != PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE) {
+					/* switch this sync type to REPLACE */
+					sync->type = PM_SYNC_TYPE_REPLACE;
+					_alpm_pkg_free(sync->data);
+					sync->data = NULL;
+				}
+				/* append to the replaces list */
+				_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "electing '%s' for removal", miss->depend.name);
+				sync->data = alpm_list_add(sync->data, q);
+			} else { /* abort */
+				_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("unresolvable package conflicts detected"));
+				if(data) {
+					pmdepmissing_t *retmiss;
+					if((retmiss = malloc(sizeof(pmdepmissing_t))) == NULL) {
+						_alpm_log(PM_LOG_ERROR, _("malloc failure: could not allocate %d bytes"), sizeof(pmdepmissing_t));
+						FREELIST(*data);
+						pm_errno = PM_ERR_MEMORY;
+						ret = -1;
+						goto cleanup;
 					}
+					*retmiss = *miss;
+					*data = alpm_list_add(*data, retmiss);
 				}
-			}
-			if(errorout) {
 				pm_errno = PM_ERR_CONFLICTING_DEPS;
 				ret = -1;
+				FREELIST(deps);
 				goto cleanup;
 			}
-			FREELIST(deps);
-			FREELIST(asked);
 		}
 		EVENT(trans, PM_TRANS_EVT_INTERCONFLICTS_DONE, NULL, NULL);
+		FREELIST(deps);
 	}
 
 	if(!(trans->flags & PM_TRANS_FLAG_NODEPS)) {
-		/* rebuild remove and list */
-		alpm_list_free(list);
-		list = NULL;
-		for(i = trans->packages; i; i = i->next) {
-			pmsyncpkg_t *sync = i->data;
-			list = alpm_list_add(list, sync->pkg);
-		}
+		/* rebuild remove list */
 		alpm_list_free(remove);
 		remove = NULL;
 		for(i = trans->packages; i; i = i->next) {