diff --git a/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/Install.hs b/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
index 67c71be06d16b92c1ea0b22dcf639cae10fd4e6b..aab9df1491d6c304a7ed2cb2bde7c0d8606edce9 100644
--- a/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ planPackages comp solver configFlags configExFlags installFlags
     adjustPlanOnlyDeps :: InstallPlan -> Progress String String InstallPlan
     adjustPlanOnlyDeps =
         either (Fail . explain) Done
-      . InstallPlan.remove (isTarget pkgSpecifiers)
+      . InstallPlan.remove (\pkg -> packageName pkg `elem` targetnames)
       where
         explain :: [InstallPlan.PlanProblem] -> String
         explain problems =
@@ -422,11 +422,6 @@ data PackageStatus = NewPackage
 
 type PackageChange = MergeResult PackageIdentifier PackageIdentifier
 
-isTarget :: Package pkg => [PackageSpecifier SourcePackage] -> pkg -> Bool
-isTarget pkgSpecifiers pkg = packageName pkg `elem` targetnames
-  where
-    targetnames  = map pkgSpecifierTarget pkgSpecifiers
-
 extractReinstalls :: PackageStatus -> [InstalledPackageId]
 extractReinstalls (Reinstall ipids _) = ipids
 extractReinstalls _                   = []