diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
index 3022360ee..02efbf686 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/InitCommand.php
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ EOT
         return $this->repos;
     }
 
-    protected function determineRequirements(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output, $requires = array(), $phpVersion = null, $preferredStability = 'stable')
+    protected function determineRequirements(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output, $requires = array(), $phpVersion = null, $preferredStability = 'stable', $checkProvidedVersions = true)
     {
         if ($requires) {
             $requires = $this->normalizeRequirements($requires);
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ EOT
                     ));
                 } else {
                     // check that the specified version/constraint exists before we proceed
-                    list($name, $version) = $this->findBestVersionAndNameForPackage($input, $requirement['name'], $phpVersion, $preferredStability, $requirement['version'], 'dev');
+                    list($name, $version) = $this->findBestVersionAndNameForPackage($input, $requirement['name'], $phpVersion, $preferredStability, $checkProvidedVersions ? $requirement['version'] : null, 'dev');
 
                     // replace package name from packagist.org
                     $requirement['name'] = $name;
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
index 147e0cf74..1f29751b9 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/RequireCommand.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class RequireCommand extends InitCommand
                 <<<EOT
 The require command adds required packages to your composer.json and installs them.
 
-If you do not specify a package, composer will prompt you to search for a package, and given results, provide a list of 
+If you do not specify a package, composer will prompt you to search for a package, and given results, provide a list of
 matches to require.
 
 If you do not specify a version constraint, composer will choose a suitable one based on the available package versions.
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ EOT
         }
 
         $phpVersion = $this->repos->findPackage('php', '*')->getPrettyVersion();
-        $requirements = $this->determineRequirements($input, $output, $input->getArgument('packages'), $phpVersion, $preferredStability);
+        $requirements = $this->determineRequirements($input, $output, $input->getArgument('packages'), $phpVersion, $preferredStability, !$input->getOption('no-update'));
 
         $requireKey = $input->getOption('dev') ? 'require-dev' : 'require';
         $removeKey = $input->getOption('dev') ? 'require' : 'require-dev';