diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/RemoveCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/RemoveCommand.php
index 9646d6db1..27be1a0ca 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/RemoveCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/RemoveCommand.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputArgument;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
+use Composer\Package\BasePackage;
 
 /**
  * @author Pierre du Plessis <pdples@gmail.com>
@@ -100,11 +101,11 @@ EOT
                         $json->removeLink($altType, $composer[$altType][$package]);
                     }
                 }
-            } elseif (isset($composer[$type]) && $matches = preg_grep('#^'.$package.'#', array_keys($composer[$type]))) {
+            } elseif (isset($composer[$type]) && $matches = preg_grep(BasePackage::packageNameToRegexp($package), array_keys($composer[$type]))) {
                 foreach ($matches as $matchedPackage) {
                     $json->removeLink($type, $matchedPackage);
                 }
-            } elseif (isset($composer[$altType]) && $matches = preg_grep('#^'.$package.'#', array_keys($composer[$altType]))) {
+            } elseif (isset($composer[$altType]) && $matches = preg_grep(BasePackage::packageNameToRegexp($package), array_keys($composer[$altType]))) {
                 foreach ($matches as $matchedPackage) {
                     $io->writeError('<warning>' . $matchedPackage . ' could not be found in ' . $type . ' but it is present in ' . $altType . '</warning>');
                     if ($io->isInteractive()) {
diff --git a/src/Composer/Installer.php b/src/Composer/Installer.php
index 2ace251af..bd0d22e3c 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Installer.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Installer.php
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ use Composer\Installer\NoopInstaller;
 use Composer\Installer\SuggestedPackagesReporter;
 use Composer\IO\IOInterface;
 use Composer\Package\AliasPackage;
+use Composer\Package\BasePackage;
 use Composer\Package\CompletePackage;
 use Composer\Package\Link;
 use Composer\Package\Loader\ArrayLoader;
@@ -1254,7 +1255,7 @@ class Installer
         }
 
         foreach ($this->updateWhitelist as $whiteListedPattern => $void) {
-            $patternRegexp = $this->packageNameToRegexp($whiteListedPattern);
+            $patternRegexp = BasePackage::packageNameToRegexp($whiteListedPattern);
             if (preg_match($patternRegexp, $package->getName())) {
                 return true;
             }
@@ -1263,19 +1264,6 @@ class Installer
         return false;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Build a regexp from a package name, expanding * globs as required
-     *
-     * @param  string $whiteListedPattern
-     * @return string
-     */
-    private function packageNameToRegexp($whiteListedPattern)
-    {
-        $cleanedWhiteListedPattern = str_replace('\\*', '.*', preg_quote($whiteListedPattern));
-
-        return "{^" . $cleanedWhiteListedPattern . "$}i";
-    }
-
     /**
      * @param  array $links
      * @return array
@@ -1341,7 +1329,7 @@ class Installer
 
             // check if the name is a glob pattern that did not match directly
             if (!$nameMatchesRequiredPackage) {
-                $whitelistPatternRegexp = $this->packageNameToRegexp($packageName);
+                $whitelistPatternRegexp = BasePackage::packageNameToRegexp($packageName);
                 foreach ($rootRequiredPackageNames as $rootRequiredPackageName) {
                     if (preg_match($whitelistPatternRegexp, $rootRequiredPackageName)) {
                         $nameMatchesRequiredPackage = true;
diff --git a/src/Composer/Package/BasePackage.php b/src/Composer/Package/BasePackage.php
index 1e3081c7e..65ea6860f 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Package/BasePackage.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Package/BasePackage.php
@@ -234,4 +234,17 @@ abstract class BasePackage implements PackageInterface
         $this->repository = null;
         $this->id = -1;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Build a regexp from a package name, expanding * globs as required
+     *
+     * @param  string $whiteListedPattern
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public static function packageNameToRegexp($whiteListedPattern)
+    {
+        $cleanedWhiteListedPattern = str_replace('\\*', '.*', preg_quote($whiteListedPattern));
+
+        return "{^" . $cleanedWhiteListedPattern . "$}i";
+    }
 }