diff --git a/.changeset/rotten-crabs-rest.md b/.changeset/rotten-crabs-rest.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..841007847
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rotten-crabs-rest.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@changesets/cli": patch
+---
+
+Private packages without a `version` field are no longer listed when adding a changeset.
diff --git a/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/.changeset/config.json b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/.changeset/config.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0967ef424
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/.changeset/config.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
diff --git a/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/package.json b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b245108a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "private": true,
+  "name": "private-package-without-version-field",
+  "description": "Base yarn workspace work",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "workspaces": [
+    "packages/*"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-a/package.json b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-a/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee09b194d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-a/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "pkg-a",
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-b/package.json b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-b/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a17612fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-b/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "pkg-b",
+  "private": true
+}
diff --git a/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-c/package.json b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-c/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..888ba5c7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__fixtures__/private-package-without-version-field/packages/pkg-c/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "pkg-c",
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/__tests__/add.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/__tests__/add.ts
index d63be8326..b12d4260e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/__tests__/add.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/__tests__/add.ts
@@ -214,6 +214,16 @@ describe("Changesets", () => {
       { ...defaultConfig, ignore: ["pkg-b"] }
     );
 
+    // @ts-ignore
+    const { choices } = askCheckboxPlus.mock.calls[0][1][0];
+    expect(choices).toEqual(["pkg-a", "pkg-c"]);
+  });
+  it("should not include private packages without a version in the prompt", async () => {
+    const cwd = await f.copy("private-package-without-version-field");
+
+    mockUserResponses({ releases: { "pkg-a": "patch" } });
+    await addChangeset(cwd, { empty: false }, defaultConfig);
+
     // @ts-ignore
     const { choices } = askCheckboxPlus.mock.calls[0][1][0];
     expect(choices).toEqual(["pkg-a", "pkg-c"]);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/createChangeset.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/createChangeset.ts
index 87aa9fe1f..3f6aab493 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/createChangeset.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/createChangeset.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ function formatPkgNameAndVersion(pkgName: string, version: string) {
   return `${bold(pkgName)}@${bold(version)}`;
 }
 
+function getPkgJsonByName(packages: Package[]) {
+  return new Map(
+    packages.map(({ packageJson }) => [packageJson.name, packageJson])
+  );
+}
+
 export default async function createChangeset(
   changedPackages: Array<string>,
   allPackages: Package[]
@@ -108,9 +114,7 @@ export default async function createChangeset(
       allPackages
     );
 
-    let pkgJsonsByName = new Map(
-      allPackages.map(({ packageJson }) => [packageJson.name, packageJson])
-    );
+    let pkgJsonsByName = getPkgJsonByName(allPackages);
 
     let pkgsLeftToGetBumpTypeFor = new Set(packagesToRelease);
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/index.ts
index eee5d8f3f..7a128791b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/add/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/add/index.ts
@@ -13,22 +13,26 @@ import { getCommitFunctions } from "../../commit/getCommitFunctions";
 import createChangeset from "./createChangeset";
 import printConfirmationMessage from "./messages";
 import { ExternalEditor } from "external-editor";
+import { PackageJSON } from "@changesets/types";
 
-type UnwrapPromise<T extends Promise<any>> = T extends Promise<infer R>
-  ? R
-  : never;
+function isListablePackage(config: Config, packageJson: PackageJSON) {
+  return (
+    !config.ignore.includes(packageJson.name) &&
+    (packageJson.version || !packageJson.private)
+  );
+}
 
 export default async function add(
   cwd: string,
   { empty, open }: { empty?: boolean; open?: boolean },
   config: Config
 ) {
-  const packages = (await getPackages(cwd)).packages.filter(
-    pkg => !config.ignore.includes(pkg.packageJson.name)
+  const packages = (await getPackages(cwd)).packages.filter(pkg =>
+    isListablePackage(config, pkg.packageJson)
   );
   const changesetBase = path.resolve(cwd, ".changeset");
 
-  let newChangeset: UnwrapPromise<ReturnType<typeof createChangeset>>;
+  let newChangeset: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof createChangeset>>;
   if (empty) {
     newChangeset = {
       confirmed: true,
@@ -40,11 +44,11 @@ export default async function add(
       cwd,
       ref: config.baseBranch
     });
-    const changePackagesName = changedPackages
-      .map(pkg => pkg.packageJson.name)
-      .filter(pkgName => !config.ignore.includes(pkgName));
+    const changedPackagesName = changedPackages
+      .filter(pkg => isListablePackage(config, pkg.packageJson))
+      .map(pkg => pkg.packageJson.name);
 
-    newChangeset = await createChangeset(changePackagesName, packages);
+    newChangeset = await createChangeset(changedPackagesName, packages);
     printConfirmationMessage(newChangeset, packages.length > 1);
 
     if (!newChangeset.confirmed) {