diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltController.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltController.cc
index 7862bf4cca..4e5e062a21 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltController.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltController.cc
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ SaltController::install_packages (const std::vector<std::string> &packages, bool
 {
   lay::SaltDownloadManager manager;
 
+  //  This method is used for command-line installation ignoring the package index.
+  //  Hence we have to download package information here:
+  manager.set_always_download_package_information (true);
+
   lay::Salt salt_mine;
   if (! m_salt_mine_url.empty ()) {
     tl::log << tl::to_string (tr ("Downloading package repository from %1").arg (tl::to_qstring (m_salt_mine_url)));
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.cc
index 753781d573..ef300f8a47 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.cc
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ ConfirmationDialog::finish ()
 
 SaltDownloadManager::SaltDownloadManager ()
 {
-  //  .. nothing yet ..
+  m_always_download_package_information = false;
 }
 
 void
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ SaltDownloadManager::fetch_missing (const lay::Salt &salt, const lay::Salt &salt
 
       }
 
-      if (! p->downloaded && salt_mine.download_package_information ()) {
+      if (! p->downloaded && (m_always_download_package_information || salt_mine.download_package_information ())) {
 
         //  If requested, download package information to complete information from index or dependencies
         if (tl::verbosity() >= 10) {
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ SaltDownloadManager::fetch_missing (const lay::Salt &salt, const lay::Salt &salt
       if (! p->downloaded) {
 
         if (p->name.empty ()) {
-          throw tl::Exception (tl::to_string (tr ("No name given package from '%s' (from dependencies or command line installation request)")), p->url);
+          throw tl::Exception (tl::to_string (tr ("No name given for package from '%s' (from dependencies or command line installation request)")), p->url);
         }
 
         if (tl::verbosity() >= 10) {
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.h b/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.h
index 477555ada6..ffe408a04b 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltDownloadManager.h
@@ -103,6 +103,22 @@ Q_OBJECT
    */
   SaltDownloadManager ();
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief Gets a flag indicating whether to always download package information
+   */
+  bool always_download_package_information () const
+  {
+    return m_always_download_package_information;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief Sets a flag indicating whether to always download package information
+   */
+  void set_always_download_package_information (bool f)
+  {
+    m_always_download_package_information = f;
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Registers an URL (with version) for download in the given target directory
    *
@@ -176,6 +192,7 @@ Q_OBJECT
   };
 
   std::vector<Descriptor> m_registry;
+  bool m_always_download_package_information;
 
   bool needs_iteration ();
   void fetch_missing (const lay::Salt &salt, const lay::Salt &salt_mine, tl::AbsoluteProgress &progress);
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
index 6139574b39..f9c3cb1810 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ SaltGrain::load (tl::InputStream &p)
 void
 SaltGrain::save () const
 {
-  save (tl::to_string (QDir (tl::to_qstring (path ())).filePath (tl::to_qstring (grain_filename))));
+  save (tl::to_string (QDir (tl::to_qstring (path ())).filePath (tl::to_qstring (SaltGrain::spec_file ()))));
 }
 
 void
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ SaltGrain::from_path (const std::string &path)
   QDir dir (tl::to_qstring (path));
 
   SaltGrain g;
-  g.load (tl::to_string (dir.filePath (tl::to_qstring (grain_filename))));
+  g.load (tl::to_string (dir.filePath (tl::to_qstring (SaltGrain::spec_file ()))));
   g.set_path (tl::to_string (dir.absolutePath ()));
   return g;
 }
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ SaltGrain::stream_from_url (std::string &generic_url, double timeout, tl::InputH
 
   } else {
 
-    return new tl::InputStream (url);
+    return new tl::InputStream (url + "/" + SaltGrain::spec_file ());
 
   }
 }
@@ -576,10 +576,10 @@ SaltGrain::is_grain (const std::string &path)
 
   if (path[0] != ':') {
     QDir dir (tl::to_qstring (path));
-    QString gf = dir.filePath (tl::to_qstring (grain_filename));
+    QString gf = dir.filePath (tl::to_qstring (SaltGrain::spec_file ()));
     return QFileInfo (gf).exists ();
   } else {
-    return QResource (tl::to_qstring (path + "/" + grain_filename)).isValid ();
+    return QResource (tl::to_qstring (path + "/" + SaltGrain::spec_file ())).isValid ();
   }
 }