diff --git a/packages/constraint-solver/constraint-solver.js b/packages/constraint-solver/constraint-solver.js
index 7632b9fc73..4865352387 100644
--- a/packages/constraint-solver/constraint-solver.js
+++ b/packages/constraint-solver/constraint-solver.js
@@ -27,13 +27,26 @@ CS.PackagesResolver = function (catalog, options) {
 //    included versions are the only pre-releases that are allowed to match
 //    constraints that don't specifically name them during the "try not to
 //    use unanticipated pre-releases" pass
+//  - missingPreviousVersionIsError - throw an error if a package version in
+//    previousSolution is not found in the catalog
 CS.PackagesResolver.prototype.resolve = function (dependencies, constraints,
                                                   options) {
   var self = this;
+  options = options || {};
   var input = new CS.Input(dependencies, constraints, self.catalogCache,
-                           options);
+                           _.pick(options, 'upgrade', 'anticipatedPrereleases',
+                                  'previousSolution'));
   input.loadFromCatalog(self.catalogLoader);
 
+  if (options.previousSolution && options.missingPreviousVersionIsError) {
+    _.each(options.previousSolution, function (version, package) {
+      if (! input.catalogCache.hasPackageVersion(package, version)) {
+        CS.throwConstraintSolverError(
+          "Package version not in catalog: " + package + " " + version);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   return CS.PackagesResolver._resolveWithInput(input, this._options.nudge);
 };
 
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index ac417a1d28..ff7729e46d 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ _.extend(ProjectContext.prototype, {
     var anticipatedPrereleases = self._getAnticipatedPrereleases(
       depsAndConstraints.constraints, cachedVersions);
 
+    var isFirstAttempt = true;
+
     // Nothing before this point looked in the official or project catalog!
     // However, the resolver does, so it gets run in the retry context.
     catalog.runAndRetryWithRefreshIfHelpful(function () {
@@ -399,7 +401,8 @@ _.extend(ProjectContext.prototype, {
 
         var resolveOptions = {
           previousSolution: cachedVersions,
-          anticipatedPrereleases: anticipatedPrereleases
+          anticipatedPrereleases: anticipatedPrereleases,
+          missingPreviousVersionIsError: isFirstAttempt
         };
         if (self._upgradePackageNames)
           resolveOptions.upgrade = self._upgradePackageNames;
@@ -432,6 +435,8 @@ _.extend(ProjectContext.prototype, {
 
         self._completedStage = STAGE.RESOLVE_CONSTRAINTS;
       });
+
+      isFirstAttempt = false;
     });
   },