diff --git a/cmd/dep/gopath_scanner.go b/cmd/dep/gopath_scanner.go
index d672a4de04..b04e368e2a 100644
--- a/cmd/dep/gopath_scanner.go
+++ b/cmd/dep/gopath_scanner.go
@@ -219,7 +219,12 @@ func (g *gopathScanner) scanGopathForDependencies() (projectData, error) {
 		go syncDep(pr, g.sm)
 
 		dependencies[pr] = []string{ip}
-		v, err := g.ctx.VersionInWorkspace(pr)
+		abs, err := g.ctx.AbsForImport(string(pr))
+		if err != nil {
+			notondisk[pr] = true
+			continue
+		}
+		v, err := gps.VCSVersion(abs)
 		if err != nil {
 			notondisk[pr] = true
 			continue
@@ -283,7 +288,13 @@ func (g *gopathScanner) scanGopathForDependencies() (projectData, error) {
 				// was found in the initial pass on direct imports. We know it's
 				// the former if there's no entry for it in the ondisk map.
 				if _, in := ondisk[pr]; !in {
-					v, err := g.ctx.VersionInWorkspace(pr)
+					abs, err := g.ctx.AbsForImport(string(pr))
+					if err != nil {
+						colors[pkg] = black
+						notondisk[pr] = true
+						return nil
+					}
+					v, err := gps.VCSVersion(abs)
 					if err != nil {
 						// Even if we know it's on disk, errors are still
 						// possible when trying to deduce version. If we
diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index cec883133b..39b85b95a3 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
-	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/Masterminds/vcs"
 	"github.com/golang/dep/internal/fs"
 	"github.com/golang/dep/internal/gps"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -236,10 +234,10 @@ func (c *Ctx) ImportForAbs(path string) (string, error) {
 	return "", errors.Errorf("%s not in GOPATH", path)
 }
 
-// absoluteProjectRoot determines the absolute path to the project root
+// AbsForImport returns the absolute path for the project root
 // including the $GOPATH. This will not work with stdlib packages and the
 // package directory needs to exist.
-func (c *Ctx) absoluteProjectRoot(path string) (string, error) {
+func (c *Ctx) AbsForImport(path string) (string, error) {
 	posspath := filepath.Join(c.GOPATH, "src", path)
 	dirOK, err := fs.IsDir(posspath)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -250,62 +248,3 @@ func (c *Ctx) absoluteProjectRoot(path string) (string, error) {
 	}
 	return posspath, nil
 }
-
-func (c *Ctx) VersionInWorkspace(root gps.ProjectRoot) (gps.Version, error) {
-	pr, err := c.absoluteProjectRoot(string(root))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "determine project root for %s", root)
-	}
-
-	repo, err := vcs.NewRepo("", pr)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "creating new repo for root: %s", pr)
-	}
-
-	ver, err := repo.Current()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "finding current branch/version for root: %s", pr)
-	}
-
-	rev, err := repo.Version()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo version for root: %s", pr)
-	}
-
-	// First look through tags.
-	tags, err := repo.Tags()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo tags for root: %s", pr)
-	}
-	// Try to match the current version to a tag.
-	if contains(tags, ver) {
-		// Assume semver if it starts with a v.
-		if strings.HasPrefix(ver, "v") {
-			return gps.NewVersion(ver).Pair(gps.Revision(rev)), nil
-		}
-
-		return nil, errors.Errorf("version for root %s does not start with a v: %q", pr, ver)
-	}
-
-	// Look for the current branch.
-	branches, err := repo.Branches()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo branch for root: %s")
-	}
-	// Try to match the current version to a branch.
-	if contains(branches, ver) {
-		return gps.NewBranch(ver).Pair(gps.Revision(rev)), nil
-	}
-
-	return gps.Revision(rev), nil
-}
-
-// contains checks if a array of strings contains a value
-func contains(a []string, b string) bool {
-	for _, v := range a {
-		if b == v {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
-}
diff --git a/context_test.go b/context_test.go
index 4ce9c0521d..e522d25b4d 100644
--- a/context_test.go
+++ b/context_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"unicode"
 
-	"github.com/golang/dep/internal/gps"
 	"github.com/golang/dep/internal/test"
 )
 
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ func TestAbsoluteProjectRoot(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for i, ok := range importPaths {
-		got, err := depCtx.absoluteProjectRoot(i)
+		got, err := depCtx.AbsForImport(i)
 		if ok {
 			h.Must(err)
 			want := h.Path(filepath.Join("src", i))
@@ -98,57 +97,12 @@ func TestAbsoluteProjectRoot(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// test that a file fails
 	h.TempFile("src/thing/thing.go", "hello world")
-	_, err := depCtx.absoluteProjectRoot("thing/thing.go")
+	_, err := depCtx.AbsForImport("thing/thing.go")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("error should not be nil for a file found")
 	}
 }
 
-func TestVersionInWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
-	test.NeedsExternalNetwork(t)
-	test.NeedsGit(t)
-
-	h := test.NewHelper(t)
-	defer h.Cleanup()
-
-	h.TempDir("src")
-	h.Setenv("GOPATH", h.Path("."))
-	depCtx := &Ctx{GOPATH: h.Path(".")}
-
-	importPaths := map[string]struct {
-		rev      gps.Version
-		checkout bool
-	}{
-		"github.com/pkg/errors": {
-			rev:      gps.NewVersion("v0.8.0").Pair("645ef00459ed84a119197bfb8d8205042c6df63d"), // semver
-			checkout: true,
-		},
-		"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus": {
-			rev:      gps.Revision("42b84f9ec624953ecbf81a94feccb3f5935c5edf"), // random sha
-			checkout: true,
-		},
-		"github.com/rsc/go-get-default-branch": {
-			rev: gps.NewBranch("another-branch").Pair("8e6902fdd0361e8fa30226b350e62973e3625ed5"),
-		},
-	}
-
-	// checkout the specified revisions
-	for ip, info := range importPaths {
-		h.RunGo("get", ip)
-		repoDir := h.Path("src/" + ip)
-		if info.checkout {
-			h.RunGit(repoDir, "checkout", info.rev.String())
-		}
-
-		got, err := depCtx.VersionInWorkspace(gps.ProjectRoot(ip))
-		h.Must(err)
-
-		if got != info.rev {
-			t.Fatalf("expected %q, got %q", got.String(), info.rev.String())
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 func TestLoadProject(t *testing.T) {
 	h := test.NewHelper(t)
 	defer h.Cleanup()
diff --git a/internal/gps/vcs_version.go b/internal/gps/vcs_version.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1009337d04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/gps/vcs_version.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package gps
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/Masterminds/vcs"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+// VCSVersion returns the current project version for an absolute path.
+func VCSVersion(path string) (Version, error) {
+	repo, err := vcs.NewRepo("", path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "creating new repo for root: %s", path)
+	}
+
+	ver, err := repo.Current()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "finding current branch/version for root: %s", path)
+	}
+
+	rev, err := repo.Version()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo version for root: %s", path)
+	}
+
+	// First look through tags.
+	tags, err := repo.Tags()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo tags for root: %s", path)
+	}
+	// Try to match the current version to a tag.
+	if contains(tags, ver) {
+		// Assume semver if it starts with a v.
+		if strings.HasPrefix(ver, "v") {
+			return NewVersion(ver).Pair(Revision(rev)), nil
+		}
+
+		return nil, errors.Errorf("version for root %s does not start with a v: %q", path, ver)
+	}
+
+	// Look for the current branch.
+	branches, err := repo.Branches()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "getting repo branch for root: %s")
+	}
+	// Try to match the current version to a branch.
+	if contains(branches, ver) {
+		return NewBranch(ver).Pair(Revision(rev)), nil
+	}
+
+	return Revision(rev), nil
+}
+
+// contains checks if a array of strings contains a value
+func contains(a []string, b string) bool {
+	for _, v := range a {
+		if b == v {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/internal/gps/vcs_version_test.go b/internal/gps/vcs_version_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7dc11971aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/gps/vcs_version_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package gps
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/golang/dep/internal/test"
+)
+
+func TestVCSVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	test.NeedsExternalNetwork(t)
+	test.NeedsGit(t)
+
+	h := test.NewHelper(t)
+	defer h.Cleanup()
+
+	h.TempDir("src")
+	gopath := h.Path(".")
+	h.Setenv("GOPATH", gopath)
+
+	importPaths := map[string]struct {
+		rev      Version
+		checkout bool
+	}{
+		"github.com/pkg/errors": {
+			rev:      NewVersion("v0.8.0").Pair("645ef00459ed84a119197bfb8d8205042c6df63d"), // semver
+			checkout: true,
+		},
+		"github.com/sirupsen/logrus": {
+			rev:      Revision("42b84f9ec624953ecbf81a94feccb3f5935c5edf"), // random sha
+			checkout: true,
+		},
+		"github.com/rsc/go-get-default-branch": {
+			rev: NewBranch("another-branch").Pair("8e6902fdd0361e8fa30226b350e62973e3625ed5"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	// checkout the specified revisions
+	for ip, info := range importPaths {
+		h.RunGo("get", ip)
+		repoDir := h.Path("src/" + ip)
+		if info.checkout {
+			h.RunGit(repoDir, "checkout", info.rev.String())
+		}
+		abs := filepath.FromSlash(filepath.Join(gopath, "src", ip))
+		got, err := VCSVersion(abs)
+		h.Must(err)
+
+		if got != info.rev {
+			t.Fatalf("expected %q, got %q", got.String(), info.rev.String())
+		}
+	}
+}