diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-scope.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-scope.rkt
index ceb00478b9..c92e79974f 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-scope.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/pkg/tests-scope.rkt
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     $ "raco pkg install -u --copy test-pkgs/pkg-test1"
     $ "racket -l pkg-test1"  =stdout> #rx"main loaded"
     $ "raco pkg install -i --copy test-pkgs/pkg-test1"
+    $ "raco pkg install --skip-installed -u --copy test-pkgs/pkg-test1"
     $ "raco pkg remove -i --no-trash pkg-test1" =stdout> "Removing pkg-test1\n"
     $ "raco pkg remove --no-trash pkg-test1" =stdout> "Removing pkg-test1\n")
 
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
index 39c552f816..56cbbd6f92 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/private/install.rkt
@@ -877,9 +877,8 @@
                                                    download-printf)
          given-descs))
 
-  (define db (and (or check-pkg-early?
-                      skip-installed?)
-                  (read-pkg-db)))
+  (define all-scope-dbs (and skip-installed? (merge-pkg-dbs)))
+  (define db (and check-pkg-early? (read-pkg-db)))
 
   (define filtered-descs
     (remove-duplicates
@@ -887,7 +886,7 @@
          descs
          (filter (lambda (d)
                    (define pkg-name (desc->name d))
-                   (define i (hash-ref db pkg-name #f))
+                   (define i (hash-ref all-scope-dbs pkg-name #f))
                    (or (not i) (pkg-info-auto? i)))
                  descs))
      pkg-desc=?))