diff --git a/app_packages.go b/app_packages.go
index 7c9d8b0..c05f22e 100644
--- a/app_packages.go
+++ b/app_packages.go
@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ type InstallResult struct {
 }
 
 type InstallSimulationResult struct {
-	Packages  []string                    `json:"packages"`
-	Requested []string                    `json:"requested"`
-	Error     string                      `json:"error,omitempty"`
-	Conflicts []vellum.QueueConflictEntry `json:"conflicts,omitempty"`
+	Packages           []string                    `json:"packages"`
+	Requested          []string                    `json:"requested"`
+	Error              string                      `json:"error,omitempty"`
+	Conflicts          []vellum.QueueConflictEntry `json:"conflicts,omitempty"`
+	UnresolvedVirtuals []string                    `json:"unresolvedVirtuals,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type UninstallSimulationResult struct {
@@ -668,16 +669,24 @@ func (a *App) SimulateInstall(packageNames []string, deviceType string) (*Instal
 		return &InstallSimulationResult{Packages: packageNames, Requested: packageNames}, nil
 	}
 
-	allPackages, err := a.vellumClient.SimulateAdd(packageNames...)
+	toSimulate := packageNames
+	for _, choice := range a.GetInstallChoices(packageNames, deviceType) {
+		if provider := choice.PreferredProvider(); provider != "" {
+			toSimulate = append([]string{provider}, toSimulate...)
+		}
+	}
+
+	allPackages, err := a.vellumClient.SimulateAdd(toSimulate...)
 	if err != nil {
 		debug.Printf("[DEBUG] SimulateAdd failed: %v, using packageNames only\n", err)
 		failure := vellum.ResolutionFailure(err)
 		result := &InstallSimulationResult{
-			Packages:  packageNames,
-			Requested: packageNames,
-			Error:     failure,
+			Packages:           packageNames,
+			Requested:          packageNames,
+			Error:              failure,
+			UnresolvedVirtuals: vellum.ParseUnselectedVirtuals(failure),
 		}
-		if failure != "" && a.metadata != nil && a.metadata.Ready() {
+		if failure != "" && len(result.UnresolvedVirtuals) == 0 && a.metadata != nil && a.metadata.Ready() {
 			firmware := ""
 			if osState, osErr := a.vellumClient.GetOSVersionState(); osErr == nil {
 				firmware = osState.CurrentVersion
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
index 0dc65e7..e8d7010 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ export interface InstallSimulationResult {
   requested: string[]
   error?: string
   conflicts?: QueueConflictEntry[]
+  unresolvedVirtuals?: string[]
 }
 
 export interface InstallSet {
diff --git a/frontend/src/tabs/ModsTab.tsx b/frontend/src/tabs/ModsTab.tsx
index 9cbe6a6..175b273 100644
--- a/frontend/src/tabs/ModsTab.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/tabs/ModsTab.tsx
@@ -302,7 +302,8 @@ export function ModsTab({
       window.go.main.App.SimulateInstall([...installQueue], device)
         .then(sim => {
           if (stale) return
-          setQueueConflict(sim.error ? { entries: sim.conflicts || [] } : null)
+          const awaitingProviderChoice = (sim.unresolvedVirtuals?.length ?? 0) > 0
+          setQueueConflict(sim.error && !awaitingProviderChoice ? { entries: sim.conflicts || [] } : null)
           setImpliedPackages(sim.error ? new Set() : new Set(
             (sim.packages || []).filter(name => !installQueue.has(name) && !installedPackages.has(name))
           ))
diff --git a/internal/vellum/client.go b/internal/vellum/client.go
index c850dec..41afd26 100644
--- a/internal/vellum/client.go
+++ b/internal/vellum/client.go
@@ -439,12 +439,28 @@ func (c *Client) SimulateAdd(packages ...string) ([]string, error) {
 
 var conflictSubjectRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^\s{2}(\S+?)-[^-\s]+-r\d+:\s*$`)
 var conflictBreaksRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`breaks:\s+(\S+?)-[^-\s\[]+-r\d+`)
+var unselectedVirtualRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^\s+(\S+) \(virtual\):\s*$`)
 
 type ResolutionConflict struct {
 	Package string
 	Breaks  string
 }
 
+func ParseUnselectedVirtuals(message string) []string {
+	var virtuals []string
+	seen := make(map[string]bool)
+
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(message, "\n") {
+		match := unselectedVirtualRegex.FindStringSubmatch(line)
+		if match == nil || seen[match[1]] {
+			continue
+		}
+		seen[match[1]] = true
+		virtuals = append(virtuals, match[1])
+	}
+	return virtuals
+}
+
 func ParseResolutionConflicts(message string) []ResolutionConflict {
 	var conflicts []ResolutionConflict
 	seen := make(map[string]bool)
diff --git a/internal/vellum/metadata.go b/internal/vellum/metadata.go
index 7646b97..d60158d 100644
--- a/internal/vellum/metadata.go
+++ b/internal/vellum/metadata.go
@@ -660,6 +660,20 @@ type VirtualChoice struct {
 	Default    string           `json:"default,omitempty"`
 }
 
+func (c VirtualChoice) PreferredProvider() string {
+	for _, provider := range c.Providers {
+		if provider.Compatible && provider.Name == c.Default {
+			return provider.Name
+		}
+	}
+	for _, provider := range c.Providers {
+		if provider.Compatible {
+			return provider.Name
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 func anyCompatible(providers []ProviderOption) bool {
 	for _, provider := range providers {
 		if provider.Compatible {
diff --git a/internal/vellum/virtual_test.go b/internal/vellum/virtual_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..983a282
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/vellum/virtual_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package vellum
+
+import "testing"
+
+const unselectedVirtualError = `ERROR: unable to select packages:
+  launcher (virtual):
+    note: please select one of the 'provided by'
+          packages explicitly
+    provided by: appload-0.5.3-r3 oxide-3.1.1-r3
+    required by: koreader-2026.07.1-r1[launcher]
+`
+
+const conflictError = `ERROR: unable to select packages:
+  chessmarkable-0.8.1-r4:
+    breaks: rmppure-1.0-r0[rmppure]
+`
+
+func TestParseUnselectedVirtuals(t *testing.T) {
+	virtuals := ParseUnselectedVirtuals(unselectedVirtualError)
+	if len(virtuals) != 1 || virtuals[0] != "launcher" {
+		t.Fatalf("virtuals = %v, want [launcher]", virtuals)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseUnselectedVirtualsIgnoresConflicts(t *testing.T) {
+	if virtuals := ParseUnselectedVirtuals(conflictError); len(virtuals) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("virtuals = %v, want none", virtuals)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseResolutionConflictsIgnoresUnselectedVirtuals(t *testing.T) {
+	if conflicts := ParseResolutionConflicts(unselectedVirtualError); len(conflicts) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("conflicts = %+v, want none", conflicts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPreferredProviderPicksCompatibleDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	choice := VirtualChoice{
+		Virtual: "launcher",
+		Default: "appload",
+		Providers: []ProviderOption{
+			{Name: "oxide", Compatible: true},
+			{Name: "appload", Compatible: true},
+		},
+	}
+	if provider := choice.PreferredProvider(); provider != "appload" {
+		t.Fatalf("provider = %q, want appload", provider)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPreferredProviderSkipsIncompatibleDefault(t *testing.T) {
+	choice := VirtualChoice{
+		Virtual: "launcher",
+		Default: "appload",
+		Providers: []ProviderOption{
+			{Name: "appload", Compatible: false, IncompatibleReason: "os"},
+			{Name: "oxide", Compatible: true},
+		},
+	}
+	if provider := choice.PreferredProvider(); provider != "oxide" {
+		t.Fatalf("provider = %q, want oxide", provider)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPreferredProviderEmptyWhenNoneCompatible(t *testing.T) {
+	choice := VirtualChoice{
+		Virtual: "launcher",
+		Default: "appload",
+		Providers: []ProviderOption{
+			{Name: "appload", Compatible: false},
+			{Name: "oxide", Compatible: false},
+		},
+	}
+	if provider := choice.PreferredProvider(); provider != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("provider = %q, want empty", provider)
+	}
+}