diff --git a/src/backend/asdf.rs b/src/backend/asdf.rs
index a8d40387f8..23c37df550 100644
--- a/src/backend/asdf.rs
+++ b/src/backend/asdf.rs
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ impl Backend for AsdfBackend {
         Some(PluginType::Asdf)
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
         let out = match tvr.ba().tool_name.as_str() {
             "poetry" | "pipenv" | "pipx" => vec!["python"],
             "elixir" => vec!["erlang"],
diff --git a/src/backend/cargo.rs b/src/backend/cargo.rs
index 83566f2467..1060f2e6b7 100644
--- a/src/backend/cargo.rs
+++ b/src/backend/cargo.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ impl Backend for CargoBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         Ok(vec![
             "rust".into(),
             "cargo-binstall".into(),
diff --git a/src/backend/go.rs b/src/backend/go.rs
index 769ed81254..e749473f80 100644
--- a/src/backend/go.rs
+++ b/src/backend/go.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ impl Backend for GoBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         Ok(vec!["go".into()])
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/mod.rs b/src/backend/mod.rs
index 7677f380f3..8cf220bbaa 100644
--- a/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -168,18 +168,18 @@ pub trait Backend: Debug + Send + Sync {
     }
     /// If any of these tools are installing in parallel, we should wait for them to finish
     /// before installing this tool.
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         Ok(vec![])
     }
-    fn get_all_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_all_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         let mut deps: IndexSet<_> = self
             .get_dependencies(tvr)?
             .into_iter()
-            .filter(|ba| self.ba() != ba) // prevent infinite loop
+            .filter(|short| self.ba().short != *short) // prevent infinite loop
             .collect();
         let dep_backends = deps
             .iter()
-            .flat_map(|ba| ba.backend())
+            .flat_map(|short| get(&short.into()))
             .collect::<Vec<ABackend>>();
         for dep in dep_backends {
             // TODO: pass the right tvr
@@ -244,16 +244,6 @@ pub trait Backend: Debug + Send + Sync {
         };
         match tv.request {
             ToolRequest::System { .. } => true,
-            ToolRequest::Prefix { .. } => {
-                // can't use tv.request.install_path() in this case since it may point to a version
-                // that matches the prefix but is not the correct one. For example, in the following
-                // scenario this would not upgrade tiny because "prefix:1" would still match and
-                // `mise up` would think it is installed
-                //     mise install tiny@1.0.0
-                //     mise use tiny@prefix:1
-                //     mise up tiny
-                check_path(&tv.install_path())
-            }
             _ => {
                 if let Some(install_path) = tv.request.install_path() {
                     if check_path(&install_path) {
@@ -352,7 +342,7 @@ pub trait Backend: Debug + Send + Sync {
         if !deps.is_empty() {
             trace!("Ensuring dependencies installed for {}", self.id());
             let config = Config::get();
-            let ts = config.get_tool_request_set()?.filter_by_tool(&deps);
+            let ts = config.get_tool_request_set()?.filter_by_tool(deps);
             let missing = ts.missing_tools();
             if !missing.is_empty() {
                 bail!(
@@ -556,7 +546,7 @@ pub trait Backend: Debug + Send + Sync {
             .collect();
         let mut ts: Toolset = config
             .get_tool_request_set()?
-            .filter_by_tool(&dependencies)
+            .filter_by_tool(dependencies)
             .into();
         ts.resolve()?;
         Ok(ts)
diff --git a/src/backend/npm.rs b/src/backend/npm.rs
index 6ec2fdd7b3..5c85ba0cff 100644
--- a/src/backend/npm.rs
+++ b/src/backend/npm.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ impl Backend for NPMBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         Ok(vec!["node".into(), "bun".into()])
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/pipx.rs b/src/backend/pipx.rs
index 6c0ca3e0ff..aa77eb5145 100644
--- a/src/backend/pipx.rs
+++ b/src/backend/pipx.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ impl Backend for PIPXBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         Ok(vec!["pipx".into(), "uv".into()])
     }
 
diff --git a/src/backend/spm.rs b/src/backend/spm.rs
index e8ad03881d..69a2f4449b 100644
--- a/src/backend/spm.rs
+++ b/src/backend/spm.rs
@@ -34,10 +34,7 @@ impl Backend for SPMBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(
-        &self,
-        _tvr: &crate::toolset::ToolRequest,
-    ) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &crate::toolset::ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         // TODO: swift as dependencies (wait for swift core plugin: https://github.com/jdx/mise/pull/1708)
         Ok(vec![])
     }
diff --git a/src/backend/ubi.rs b/src/backend/ubi.rs
index 8f769a5f64..61724f4e9a 100644
--- a/src/backend/ubi.rs
+++ b/src/backend/ubi.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use crate::env::GITHUB_TOKEN;
 use crate::github;
 use crate::install_context::InstallContext;
 use crate::plugins::VERSION_REGEX;
-use crate::toolset::ToolRequest;
 use eyre::bail;
 use regex::Regex;
 use std::fmt::Debug;
@@ -31,10 +30,6 @@ impl Backend for UbiBackend {
         &self.ba
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, _tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
-        Ok(vec![])
-    }
-
     fn _list_remote_versions(&self) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         if name_is_url(self.name()) {
             Ok(vec!["latest".to_string()])
diff --git a/src/backend/vfox.rs b/src/backend/vfox.rs
index 4a8a5ca3af..8173ed80a4 100644
--- a/src/backend/vfox.rs
+++ b/src/backend/vfox.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ impl Backend for VfoxBackend {
             .collect())
     }
 
-    fn get_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    fn get_dependencies(&self, tvr: &ToolRequest) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         let out = match tvr.ba().tool_name.as_str() {
             "poetry" | "pipenv" | "pipx" => vec!["python"],
             "elixir" => vec!["erlang"],
diff --git a/src/cli/install.rs b/src/cli/install.rs
index 91aa76434b..2baea73655 100644
--- a/src/cli/install.rs
+++ b/src/cli/install.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use crate::cli::args::{BackendArg, ToolArg};
+use crate::cli::args::ToolArg;
 use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::lockfile;
 use crate::toolset::{
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use crate::toolset::{
 use crate::ui::multi_progress_report::MultiProgressReport;
 use eyre::{Result, WrapErr};
 use itertools::Itertools;
-use std::collections::HashSet;
 
 /// Install a tool version
 ///
@@ -59,8 +58,8 @@ impl Install {
 
     fn install_runtimes(&self, config: &Config, runtimes: &[ToolArg]) -> Result<Vec<ToolVersion>> {
         let mpr = MultiProgressReport::get();
-        let tools: HashSet<BackendArg> = runtimes.iter().map(|ta| ta.ba.clone()).collect();
-        let mut ts = config.get_tool_request_set()?.filter_by_tool(&tools).into();
+        let tools = runtimes.iter().map(|ta| ta.ba.short.clone()).collect();
+        let mut ts = config.get_tool_request_set()?.filter_by_tool(tools).into();
         let tool_versions = self.get_requested_tool_versions(&ts, runtimes)?;
         if tool_versions.is_empty() {
             warn!("no runtimes to install");
diff --git a/src/cli/upgrade.rs b/src/cli/upgrade.rs
index 3abb338be9..01aadff049 100644
--- a/src/cli/upgrade.rs
+++ b/src/cli/upgrade.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ impl Upgrade {
             return Ok(());
         }
         let opts = InstallOptions {
-            force: false,
+            // TODO: can we remove this without breaking e2e/cli/test_upgrade? it may be causing tools to re-install
+            force: true,
             jobs: self.jobs,
             raw: self.raw,
             resolve_options: ResolveOptions {
diff --git a/src/toolset/mod.rs b/src/toolset/mod.rs
index b786560ac4..133e4d71bd 100644
--- a/src/toolset/mod.rs
+++ b/src/toolset/mod.rs
@@ -674,7 +674,10 @@ impl From<ToolRequestSet> for Toolset {
 }
 
 fn get_leaf_dependencies(requests: &[ToolRequest]) -> eyre::Result<Vec<&ToolRequest>> {
-    let versions_hash = requests.iter().map(|tr| tr.ba()).collect::<HashSet<_>>();
+    let versions_hash = requests
+        .iter()
+        .map(|tr| tr.ba().short.to_string())
+        .collect::<HashSet<_>>();
     let leaves = requests
         .iter()
         .map(|tr| {
diff --git a/src/toolset/tool_request.rs b/src/toolset/tool_request.rs
index f95c714c61..50bfb5b720 100644
--- a/src/toolset/tool_request.rs
+++ b/src/toolset/tool_request.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ impl ToolRequest {
         }
         self
     }
-    pub fn dependencies(&self) -> eyre::Result<Vec<BackendArg>> {
+    pub fn dependencies(&self) -> eyre::Result<Vec<String>> {
         let backend = self.ba().backend()?;
         backend.get_all_dependencies(self)
     }
diff --git a/src/toolset/tool_request_set.rs b/src/toolset/tool_request_set.rs
index a3d3cd4077..ff7a83c460 100644
--- a/src/toolset/tool_request_set.rs
+++ b/src/toolset/tool_request_set.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use itertools::Itertools;
 use crate::cli::args::{BackendArg, ToolArg};
 use crate::config::{Config, Settings};
 use crate::env;
+use crate::registry::REGISTRY;
 use crate::toolset::{ToolRequest, ToolSource};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone)]
@@ -73,9 +74,15 @@ impl ToolRequestSet {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn filter_by_tool(&self, tools: &HashSet<BackendArg>) -> Self {
+    pub fn filter_by_tool(&self, mut tools: HashSet<String>) -> ToolRequestSet {
+        // add in the full names so something like cargo:cargo-binstall can be used in place of cargo-binstall
+        for short in tools.clone().iter() {
+            if let Some(rt) = REGISTRY.get(short.as_str()) {
+                tools.extend(rt.backends().iter().map(|s| s.to_string()));
+            }
+        }
         self.iter()
-            .filter(|(fa, ..)| tools.contains(fa))
+            .filter(|(ba, ..)| tools.contains(&ba.short))
             .map(|(fa, trl, ts)| (fa.clone(), trl.clone(), ts.clone()))
             .collect::<ToolRequestSet>()
     }