diff --git a/src/rebar_prv_upgrade.erl b/src/rebar_prv_upgrade.erl
index 46aed9eb..a50e64f8 100644
--- a/src/rebar_prv_upgrade.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_prv_upgrade.erl
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ init(State) ->
 do(State) ->
     {Args, _} = rebar_state:command_parsed_args(State),
     Locks = rebar_state:get(State, {locks, default}, []),
-    Deps = rebar_state:get(State, deps),
+    Deps = rebar_state:get(State, deps, []),
     Names = parse_names(ec_cnv:to_binary(proplists:get_value(package, Args, <<"">>)), Locks),
     case prepare_locks(Names, Deps, Locks, []) of
         {error, Reason} ->
diff --git a/src/rebar_state.erl b/src/rebar_state.erl
index 1e0abc57..8c434961 100644
--- a/src/rebar_state.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_state.erl
@@ -344,8 +344,8 @@ merge_opts(Profile, NewOpts, OldOpts) ->
     end.
 
 merge_opts(NewOpts, OldOpts) ->
-    dict:merge(fun(deps, NewValue, _OldValue) ->
-                       NewValue;
+    dict:merge(fun(deps, _NewValue, OldValue) ->
+                       OldValue;
                   ({deps, _}, NewValue, _OldValue) ->
                        NewValue;
                   (plugins, NewValue, _OldValue) ->