diff --git a/.changeset/poor-otters-doubt.md b/.changeset/poor-otters-doubt.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..55be4b145386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/poor-otters-doubt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@astrojs/upgrade': patch
+---
+
+Improves dependency handling by ignoring packages that don't use a semver version
diff --git a/packages/upgrade/src/actions/verify.ts b/packages/upgrade/src/actions/verify.ts
index 82daa9a06b14..8233a5caf157 100644
--- a/packages/upgrade/src/actions/verify.ts
+++ b/packages/upgrade/src/actions/verify.ts
@@ -66,17 +66,32 @@ async function verifyAstroProject(ctx: Pick<Context, 'cwd' | 'version' | 'packag
 	return true;
 }
 
-function isAstroPackage(name: string) {
+function isAstroPackage(name: string, _version: string) {
 	return name === 'astro' || name.startsWith('@astrojs/');
 }
 
-function collectPackageInfo(
+function isAllowedPackage(name: string, _version: string) {
+	return name !== '@astrojs/upgrade';
+}
+
+function isValidVersion(_name: string, version: string) {
+	return semverCoerce(version, { loose: true }) !== null;
+}
+
+function isSupportedPackage(name: string, version: string): boolean {
+	for (const validator of [isAstroPackage, isAllowedPackage, isValidVersion]) {
+		if (!validator(name, version)) return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+export function collectPackageInfo(
 	ctx: Pick<Context, 'version' | 'packages'>,
-	dependencies: Record<string, string>,
-	devDependencies: Record<string, string>
+	dependencies: Record<string, string> = {},
+	devDependencies: Record<string, string> = {}
 ) {
 	for (const [name, currentVersion] of Object.entries(dependencies)) {
-		if (!isAstroPackage(name)) continue;
+		if (!isSupportedPackage(name, currentVersion)) continue;
 		ctx.packages.push({
 			name,
 			currentVersion,
@@ -84,7 +99,7 @@ function collectPackageInfo(
 		});
 	}
 	for (const [name, currentVersion] of Object.entries(devDependencies)) {
-		if (!isAstroPackage(name)) continue;
+		if (!isSupportedPackage(name, currentVersion)) continue;
 		ctx.packages.push({
 			name,
 			currentVersion,
diff --git a/packages/upgrade/src/index.ts b/packages/upgrade/src/index.ts
index 8131e6eb3d8d..8dac82c1c854 100644
--- a/packages/upgrade/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/upgrade/src/index.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { getContext } from './actions/context.js';
 
 import { help } from './actions/help.js';
 import { install } from './actions/install.js';
-import { verify } from './actions/verify.js';
+import { verify, collectPackageInfo } from './actions/verify.js';
 import { setStdout } from './messages.js';
 
 const exit = () => process.exit(0);
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ export async function main() {
 	process.exit(0);
 }
 
-export { getContext, install, setStdout, verify };
+export { getContext, install, setStdout, verify, collectPackageInfo };
diff --git a/packages/upgrade/test/verify.test.js b/packages/upgrade/test/verify.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ec9d2de58a36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/upgrade/test/verify.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import { collectPackageInfo } from '../dist/index.js';
+
+describe('collectPackageInfo', () => {
+	const context = {
+		cwd: '',
+		version: 'latest',
+		packageManager: 'npm',
+		dryRun: true,
+		packages: []
+	};
+
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		context.packages = [];
+	})
+
+	it('detects astro', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "astro": "1.0.0" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([{ name: 'astro', currentVersion: '1.0.0', targetVersion: 'latest' }]);
+	});
+
+	it('detects @astrojs', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/preact": "1.0.0" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([{ name: '@astrojs/preact', currentVersion: '1.0.0', targetVersion: 'latest' }]);
+	});
+
+	it('supports ^ prefixes', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "astro": "^1.0.0" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([{ name: 'astro', currentVersion: '^1.0.0', targetVersion: 'latest' }]);
+	});
+
+	it('supports ~ prefixes', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "astro": "~1.0.0" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([{ name: 'astro', currentVersion: '~1.0.0', targetVersion: 'latest' }]);
+	});
+
+	it('supports prereleases', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "astro": "1.0.0-beta.0" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([{ name: 'astro', currentVersion: '1.0.0-beta.0', targetVersion: 'latest' }]);
+	});
+
+	it('ignores self', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/upgrade": "0.0.1" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([]);
+	});
+
+	it('ignores linked packages', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/preact": "link:../packages/preact" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([]);
+	});
+
+	it('ignores workspace packages', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/preact": "workspace:*" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([]);
+	});
+
+	it('ignores github packages', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/preact": "github:withastro/astro" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([]);
+	});
+
+	it('ignores tag', async () => {
+		collectPackageInfo(context, { "@astrojs/preact": "beta" }, {});
+		expect(context.packages).deep.equal([]);
+	});
+});