diff --git a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.test.ts b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.test.ts
index fa89080889..ae575a8b02 100644
--- a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.test.ts
+++ b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.test.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,28 @@ import {
   Workspace,
 } from '@yarnpkg/core';
 import { suggestUtils } from '@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials';
+import { getPackageVersion } from '../util';
 import { afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition } from './afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition';
 
+jest.mock('../util', () => ({
+  getPackageVersion: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
 describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition', () => {
-  const workspace = {} as Workspace;
+  const workspace = {
+    project: {
+      configuration: {},
+    },
+  } as Workspace;
   const target = {} as suggestUtils.Target;
   const strategies: Array<suggestUtils.Strategy> = [];
+  const mockGetPackageVersion = getPackageVersion as jest.MockedFunction<
+    typeof getPackageVersion
+  >;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockReset();
+  });
 
   it('should replace the range for a backstage scoped dependency', async () => {
     const input: Descriptor = {
@@ -36,6 +52,8 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition', () => {
       identHash: {} as IdentHash,
     };
 
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve('success'));
+
     await afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition(
       workspace,
       target,
@@ -44,6 +62,39 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition', () => {
     );
 
     expect(input.range).toBe('backstage:^');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      input,
+      workspace.project.configuration,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should not replace the range for a backstage scoped dependency where it cant find a version from remote', async () => {
+    const input: Descriptor = {
+      scope: 'backstage',
+      name: 'test-package',
+      range: '^1.0.0',
+      descriptorHash: {} as DescriptorHash,
+      identHash: {} as IdentHash,
+    };
+
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockImplementation(() =>
+      Promise.reject(new Error('test error')),
+    );
+
+    await afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition(
+      workspace,
+      target,
+      input,
+      strategies,
+    );
+
+    expect(input.range).toBe('^1.0.0');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      input,
+      workspace.project.configuration,
+    );
   });
 
   it('should not replace the range for a non-backstage scoped dependency', async () => {
@@ -63,5 +114,6 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition', () => {
     );
 
     expect(input.range).toBe('^1.0.0');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.ts b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.ts
index 8e39b1c759..9307790930 100644
--- a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.ts
+++ b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition.ts
@@ -14,20 +14,34 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { Descriptor, Workspace } from '@yarnpkg/core';
+import { Descriptor, structUtils, Workspace } from '@yarnpkg/core';
 import { suggestUtils } from '@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials';
+import { getPackageVersion } from '../util';
+import { PROTOCOL } from '../constants';
 
 export const afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition = async (
-  _workspace: Workspace,
+  workspace: Workspace,
   _target: suggestUtils.Target,
   descriptor: Descriptor,
   _strategies: Array<suggestUtils.Strategy>,
 ) => {
-  if (descriptor.scope === 'backstage' && descriptor.range !== 'backstage:^') {
-    // is there a better way to log than console.log?
-    console.log(
-      `afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition hook: Setting descriptor range from ${descriptor.range} to 'backstage:^' for ${descriptor.scope}/${descriptor.name}`,
-    );
-    descriptor.range = 'backstage:^';
+  const descriptorRange = structUtils.parseRange(descriptor.range);
+
+  if (
+    descriptor.scope === 'backstage' &&
+    descriptorRange.protocol !== PROTOCOL
+  ) {
+    try {
+      await getPackageVersion(descriptor, workspace.project.configuration);
+      // is there a better way to log than console.log?
+      console.log(
+        `afterWorkspaceDependencyAddition hook: Setting descriptor range from ${descriptor.range} to 'backstage:^' for ${descriptor.scope}/${descriptor.name}`,
+      );
+      descriptor.range = `${PROTOCOL}^`;
+    } catch (_error: any) {
+      // if there's no found version then this is likely a deprecated package
+      // or otherwise the plugin won't be able to resolve the real version
+      // and we should leave the desired range as is
+    }
   }
 };
diff --git a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test.ts b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test.ts
index eef3f25f97..7bf9c77554 100644
--- a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test.ts
+++ b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test.ts
@@ -20,11 +20,27 @@ import {
   Workspace,
 } from '@yarnpkg/core';
 import { suggestUtils } from '@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials';
+import { getPackageVersion } from '../util';
 import { afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement } from './afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement';
 
+jest.mock('../util', () => ({
+  getPackageVersion: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
 describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test', () => {
-  const workspace = {} as Workspace;
+  const workspace = {
+    project: {
+      configuration: {},
+    },
+  } as Workspace;
   const target = {} as suggestUtils.Target;
+  const mockGetPackageVersion = getPackageVersion as jest.MockedFunction<
+    typeof getPackageVersion
+  >;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockReset();
+  });
 
   it('should warn that the range is being changed for a backstage scoped dependency', async () => {
     const fromDescriptor: Descriptor = {
@@ -41,6 +57,9 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test', () => {
       descriptorHash: {} as DescriptorHash,
       identHash: {} as IdentHash,
     };
+
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve('success'));
+
     await afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement(
       workspace,
       target,
@@ -49,7 +68,48 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test', () => {
     );
 
     expect(toDescriptor.range).toBe('^1.0.0');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      toDescriptor,
+      workspace.project.configuration,
+    );
   });
+
+  it('should not warn that the range is being changed for a backstage scoped dependency where it cant find a version from remote', async () => {
+    const fromDescriptor: Descriptor = {
+      scope: 'backstage',
+      name: 'test-package',
+      range: 'backstage:^',
+      descriptorHash: {} as DescriptorHash,
+      identHash: {} as IdentHash,
+    };
+    const toDescriptor: Descriptor = {
+      scope: 'backstage',
+      name: 'test-package',
+      range: '^1.0.0',
+      descriptorHash: {} as DescriptorHash,
+      identHash: {} as IdentHash,
+    };
+
+    mockGetPackageVersion.mockImplementation(() =>
+      Promise.reject(new Error('test error')),
+    );
+
+    await afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement(
+      workspace,
+      target,
+      fromDescriptor,
+      toDescriptor,
+    );
+
+    expect(toDescriptor.range).toBe('^1.0.0');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      toDescriptor,
+      workspace.project.configuration,
+    );
+  });
+
   it('should ignore that the range is being changed for a non-backstage scoped dependency', async () => {
     const fromDescriptor: Descriptor = {
       scope: 'backstage-community',
@@ -73,5 +133,6 @@ describe('afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.test', () => {
     );
 
     expect(toDescriptor.range).toBe('^1.0.0');
+    expect(mockGetPackageVersion).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.ts b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.ts
index b8141c8bb3..a955191244 100644
--- a/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.ts
+++ b/packages/yarn-plugin/src/handlers/afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement.ts
@@ -14,22 +14,33 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { Descriptor, Workspace } from '@yarnpkg/core';
+import { Descriptor, structUtils, Workspace } from '@yarnpkg/core';
 import { suggestUtils } from '@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials';
+import { getPackageVersion } from '../util';
+import { PROTOCOL } from '../constants';
 
 export const afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement = async (
-  _workspace: Workspace,
+  workspace: Workspace,
   _target: suggestUtils.Target,
   fromDescriptor: Descriptor,
   toDescriptor: Descriptor,
 ) => {
+  const toDescriptorRange = structUtils.parseRange(toDescriptor.range);
+
   if (
     toDescriptor.scope === 'backstage' &&
-    toDescriptor.range !== 'backstage:^'
+    toDescriptorRange.protocol !== PROTOCOL
   ) {
-    // is there a better way to log than console.log?
-    console.log(
-      `afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement hook: Setting descriptor range from '${fromDescriptor.range}' to '${toDescriptor.range}' for ${fromDescriptor.scope}/${fromDescriptor.name}.  Are you sure you want to be doing that?`,
-    );
+    try {
+      await getPackageVersion(toDescriptor, workspace.project.configuration);
+      // is there a better way to log than console.log?
+      console.log(
+        `afterWorkspaceDependencyReplacement hook: Setting descriptor range from '${fromDescriptor.range}' to '${toDescriptor.range}' for ${fromDescriptor.scope}/${fromDescriptor.name}.  Are you sure you want to be doing that?`,
+      );
+    } catch (_error: any) {
+      // if there's no found version then this is likely a deprecated package
+      // or otherwise the plugin won't be able to resolve the real version
+      // and we should not warn them.
+    }
   }
 };