diff --git a/lib/registry.js b/lib/registry.js
index eeb22e93..c4c9df8e 100644
--- a/lib/registry.js
+++ b/lib/registry.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ const RemoteFetcher = require('./remote.js')
 const _tarballFromResolved = Symbol.for('pacote.Fetcher._tarballFromResolved')
 const pacoteVersion = require('../package.json').version
 const removeTrailingSlashes = require('./util/trailing-slashes.js')
-const npa = require('npm-package-arg')
 const rpj = require('read-package-json-fast')
 const pickManifest = require('npm-pick-manifest')
 const ssri = require('ssri')
@@ -28,12 +27,6 @@ class RegistryFetcher extends Fetcher {
     // already.
     this.packumentCache = this.opts.packumentCache || null
 
-    // handle case when npm-package-arg guesses wrong.
-    if (this.spec.type === 'tag' &&
-        this.spec.rawSpec === '' &&
-        this.defaultTag !== 'latest') {
-      this.spec = npa(`${this.spec.name}@${this.defaultTag}`)
-    }
     this.registry = fetch.pickRegistry(spec, opts)
     this.packumentUrl = removeTrailingSlashes(this.registry) + '/' +
       this.spec.escapedName
diff --git a/test/fetcher.js b/test/fetcher.js
index 2cf8f403..7da995db 100644
--- a/test/fetcher.js
+++ b/test/fetcher.js
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ t.test('various projectiles', t => {
     }
   }
   t.throws(() => new KidFetcher('foo', {}), {
-    message: `Wrong spec type (tag) for KidFetcher. Supported types: kid`,
+    message: `Wrong spec type (range) for KidFetcher. Supported types: kid`,
   })
   t.end()
 })
diff --git a/test/registry.js b/test/registry.js
index c476f556..e6236caf 100644
--- a/test/registry.js
+++ b/test/registry.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ t.test('underscore, no tag or version', t => {
       resolved: `${registry}underscore/-/underscore-1.5.1.tgz`,
       // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
       integrity: 'sha1-0r3oF9F2/63olKtxRY5oKhS4bck= sha512-yOc7VukmA45a1D6clUn1mD7Mbc9LcVYAQEXNKSTblzha59hSFJ6cAt90JDoxh05GQnTPI9nk4wjT/I8C/nAMPw==',
-      from: 'underscore@',
+      from: 'underscore@*',
     }))
 })
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ t.test('scoped, no tag or version', t => {
       resolved: `${registry}@isaacs/namespace-test/-/namespace-test-1.0.0.tgz`,
       // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
       integrity: 'sha512-5ZYe1LgwHIaag0p9loMwsf5N/wJ4XAuHVNhSO+qulQOXWnyJVuco6IZjo+5u4ZLF/GimdHJcX+QK892ONfOCqQ==',
-      from: '@isaacs/namespace-test@',
+      from: '@isaacs/namespace-test@*',
     }))
 })
 
@@ -292,9 +292,38 @@ t.test('404 fails with E404', t => {
 })
 
 t.test('respect default tag', async t => {
-  const f = new RegistryFetcher('underscore', { registry, cache, defaultTag: 'stable' })
-  t.equal(f.spec.raw, 'underscore@stable')
-  t.equal(await f.resolve(), `${registry}underscore/-/underscore-1.5.1.tgz`)
+  const taggedPackument = JSON.stringify({
+    _id: 'abbrev',
+    _rev: 'lkjadflkjasdf',
+    name: 'abbrev',
+    'dist-tags': { latest: '1.1.1', stable: '1.1.0' },
+    versions: {
+      '1.1.0': {
+        name: 'abbrev',
+        version: '1.1.0',
+        dist: {
+          tarball: 'https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev/-/abbrev-1.1.0.tgz',
+        },
+      },
+      '1.1.1': {
+        name: 'abbrev',
+        version: '1.1.1',
+        dist: {
+          tarball: 'https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev/-/abbrev-1.1.1.tgz',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  tnock(t, 'https://registry.github.com')
+    .get('/abbrev')
+    .reply(200, taggedPackument)
+
+  const f = new RegistryFetcher('abbrev', {
+    registry: 'https://registry.github.com',
+    cache,
+    defaultTag: 'stable',
+  })
+  t.equal(await f.resolve(), 'https://registry.npmjs.org/abbrev/-/abbrev-1.1.0.tgz')
 })
 
 t.test('fail resolution if no dist.tarball', t => {
@@ -315,7 +344,7 @@ t.test('a manifest that lacks integrity', async t => {
     resolved: `${registry}no-integrity/-/no-integrity-1.2.3.tgz`,
     // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
     integrity: 'sha512-nne9/IiQ/hzIhY6pdDnbBtz7DjPTKrY00P/zvPSm5pOFkl6xuGrGnXn/VtTNNfNtAfZ9/1RtehkszU9qcTii0Q==',
-    from: 'no-integrity@',
+    from: 'no-integrity@*',
   }, 'calculated integrity anyway')
   // load a second one, but get the cached copy
   const f2 = new RegistryFetcher('no-integrity', { registry, cache, packumentCache })