diff --git a/Core/ModuleInstaller.cs b/Core/ModuleInstaller.cs
index 4164f30da..6c69ac231 100644
--- a/Core/ModuleInstaller.cs
+++ b/Core/ModuleInstaller.cs
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ public void InstallList(ICollection<CkanModule>     modules,
             foreach (var module in modsToInstall)
             {
                 User.RaiseMessage(" * {0}", Cache.DescribeAvailability(module));
-                if (!Cache.IsMaybeCachedZip(module))
+                // Alert about attempts to install DLC before downloading or installing anything
+                CheckKindInstallationKraken(module);
+                if (!module.IsMetapackage && !Cache.IsMaybeCachedZip(module))
                 {
                     downloads.Add(module);
                 }
@@ -242,8 +244,7 @@ private void Install(CkanModule           module,
                              bool                 autoInstalled,
                              Registry             registry,
                              ref HashSet<string>? possibleConfigOnlyDirs,
-                             IProgress<int>?      progress,
-                             string?              filename = null)
+                             IProgress<int>?      progress)
         {
             CheckKindInstallationKraken(module);
             var version = registry.InstalledVersion(module.identifier);
@@ -256,15 +257,19 @@ private void Install(CkanModule           module,
                 return;
             }
 
-            // Find ZIP in the cache if we don't already have it.
-            filename ??= Cache.GetCachedFilename(module);
-
-            // If we *still* don't have a file, then kraken bitterly.
-            if (filename == null)
+            string? filename = null;
+            if (!module.IsMetapackage)
             {
-                throw new FileNotFoundKraken(null,
-                                             string.Format(Properties.Resources.ModuleInstallerZIPNotInCache,
-                                                           module));
+                // Find ZIP in the cache if we don't already have it.
+                filename ??= Cache.GetCachedFilename(module);
+
+                // If we *still* don't have a file, then kraken bitterly.
+                if (filename == null)
+                {
+                    throw new FileNotFoundKraken(null,
+                                                 string.Format(Properties.Resources.ModuleInstallerZIPNotInCache,
+                                                               module));
+                }
             }
 
             using (var transaction = CkanTransaction.CreateTransactionScope())
@@ -285,19 +290,14 @@ private void Install(CkanModule           module,
 
             // Fire our callback that we've installed a module, if we have one.
             onReportModInstalled?.Invoke(module);
-
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Check if the given module is a metapackage:
+        /// Check if the given module is a DLC:
         /// if it is, throws a BadCommandKraken.
         /// </summary>
         private static void CheckKindInstallationKraken(CkanModule module)
         {
-            if (module.IsMetapackage)
-            {
-                throw new BadCommandKraken(Properties.Resources.ModuleInstallerMetapackage);
-            }
             if (module.IsDLC)
             {
                 throw new BadCommandKraken(Properties.Resources.ModuleInstallerDLC);
@@ -313,14 +313,18 @@ private static void CheckKindInstallationKraken(CkanModule module)
         /// Propagates a FileExistsKraken if we were going to overwrite a file.
         /// </summary>
         private List<string> InstallModule(CkanModule           module,
-                                           string               zip_filename,
+                                           string?              zip_filename,
                                            Registry             registry,
                                            ref HashSet<string>? possibleConfigOnlyDirs,
                                            IProgress<int>?      moduleProgress)
         {
-            CheckKindInstallationKraken(module);
             var createdPaths = new List<string>();
-
+            if (module.IsMetapackage || zip_filename == null)
+            {
+                // It's OK to include metapackages in changesets,
+                // but there's no work to do for them
+                return createdPaths;
+            }
             using (ZipFile zipfile = new ZipFile(zip_filename))
             {
                 var filters = ServiceLocator.Container.Resolve<IConfiguration>().GlobalInstallFilters
diff --git a/Core/Relationships/RelationshipResolver.cs b/Core/Relationships/RelationshipResolver.cs
index 287aaee75..40c6aeb91 100644
--- a/Core/Relationships/RelationshipResolver.cs
+++ b/Core/Relationships/RelationshipResolver.cs
@@ -421,11 +421,6 @@ private string conflictingModDescription(CkanModule? mod, CkanModule? parent)
         /// </summary>
         private void Add(CkanModule module, SelectionReason reason)
         {
-            if (module.IsMetapackage)
-            {
-                AddReason(module, reason);
-                return;
-            }
             if (module.IsDLC)
             {
                 throw new ModuleIsDLCKraken(module);
diff --git a/GUI/Main/MainChangeset.cs b/GUI/Main/MainChangeset.cs
index 537ef6757..cfe322c87 100644
--- a/GUI/Main/MainChangeset.cs
+++ b/GUI/Main/MainChangeset.cs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ private void Changeset_OnConfirmChanges(List<ModChange> changeset)
             {
                 Wait.StartWaiting(InstallMods, PostInstallMods, true,
                     new InstallArgument(
-                            // Only pass along user requested mods, so auto-installed can be determined
+                        // Only pass along user requested mods, so auto-installed can be determined
                         changeset.Where(ch => ch.Reasons.Any(r => r is SelectionReason.UserRequested)
                                               // Include all removes and upgrades
                                               || ch.ChangeType != GUIModChangeType.Install)
diff --git a/GUI/Model/ModList.cs b/GUI/Model/ModList.cs
index 6cce0b361..a2cf963fc 100644
--- a/GUI/Model/ModList.cs
+++ b/GUI/Model/ModList.cs
@@ -214,7 +214,6 @@ public Tuple<IEnumerable<ModChange>, Dictionary<CkanModule, string>, List<string
                          .Union(resolver.ModList()
                                         // Changeset already contains changes for these
                                         .Except(extraInstalls)
-                                        .Where(m => !m.IsMetapackage)
                                         .Select(m => new ModChange(m, GUIModChangeType.Install, resolver.ReasonsFor(m)))),
                 resolver.ConflictList,
                 resolver.ConflictDescriptions.ToList());