diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/ApiEndpoint.cs b/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/ApiEndpoint.cs
index d61c2f77..09dc0d2e 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/ApiEndpoint.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/ApiEndpoint.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using IPA.JsonConverters;
 using IPA.Utilities;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;
 using SemVer;
 using Version = SemVer.Version;
 
@@ -60,6 +61,23 @@ namespace IPA.Updating.BeatMods
                 }
             }
         }
+        class ModMultiformatJsonConverter : JsonConverter<Mod>
+        {
+            public override Mod ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Mod existingValue, bool hasExistingValue, JsonSerializer serializer)
+            {
+                if (reader.TokenType == JsonToken.String)
+                    return new Mod { Id = reader.Value as string, IsIdReference = true };
+                else
+                {
+                    if (reader.TokenType != JsonToken.StartObject)
+                        return null;
+
+                    return serializer.Deserialize<Mod>(reader);
+                }
+            }
+
+            public override void WriteJson(JsonWriter writer, Mod value, JsonSerializer serializer) => serializer.Serialize(writer, value);
+        }
 
         [Serializable]
         public class Mod
@@ -71,6 +89,9 @@ namespace IPA.Updating.BeatMods
             [JsonProperty("_id")]
             public string Id;
 
+            [JsonIgnore]
+            public bool IsIdReference = false;
+
             [JsonProperty("required")]
             public bool Required;
 
@@ -210,7 +231,7 @@ namespace IPA.Updating.BeatMods
             [JsonProperty("oldVersions", ItemConverterType = typeof(SemverVersionConverter))]
             public Version[] OldVersions = new Version[0];*/
 
-            [JsonProperty("dependencies")]
+            [JsonProperty("dependencies", ItemConverterType = typeof(ModMultiformatJsonConverter))]
             public Mod[] Dependencies;
 
             public override string ToString()
diff --git a/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/Updater.cs b/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/Updater.cs
index 5a75bd75..22db2bfb 100644
--- a/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/Updater.cs
+++ b/IPA.Loader/Updating/BeatMods/Updater.cs
@@ -170,34 +170,53 @@ namespace IPA.Updating.BeatMods
         {
             var depList = new Ref<List<DependencyObject>>(new List<DependencyObject>());
 
-            foreach (var plugin in BSMetas
-                .Where(m => m.Metadata.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) != null))
+            foreach (var plugin in BSMetas)
+                //.Where(m => m.Metadata.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) == null))
             { // initialize with data to resolve (1.1)
                 if (plugin.Metadata.Id != null)
                 { // updatable
                     var msinfo = plugin.Metadata;
-                    depList.Value.Add(new DependencyObject {
+                    var dep = new DependencyObject
+                    {
                         Name = msinfo.Id,
                         Version = msinfo.Version,
-                        Requirement = new Range($">{msinfo.Version}"),
+                        Requirement = new Range($">={msinfo.Version}"),
                         LocalPluginMeta = plugin
-                    });
+                    };
+
+                    if (msinfo.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) != null)
+                    { // disable updating, by only matching self, so that dependencies can still be resolved
+                        dep.Requirement = new Range(msinfo.Version.ToString());
+                    }
+
+                    depList.Value.Add(dep);
                 }
             }
 
-            foreach (var meta in PluginLoader.ignoredPlugins.Where(m => m.Id != null)
-                .Where(m => m.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) != null))
+            foreach (var meta in PluginLoader.ignoredPlugins.Where(m => m.Id != null))
+            //.Where(m => m.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) == null))
             {
-                depList.Value.Add(new DependencyObject
-                {
-                    Name = meta.Id,
-                    Version = meta.Version,
-                    Requirement = new Range($">{meta.Version}"),
-                    LocalPluginMeta = new PluginLoader.PluginInfo
+                if (meta.Id != null)
+                { // updatable
+                    var dep = new DependencyObject
                     {
-                        Metadata = meta, Plugin = null
+                        Name = meta.Id,
+                        Version = meta.Version,
+                        Requirement = new Range($">={meta.Version}"),
+                        LocalPluginMeta = new PluginLoader.PluginInfo
+                        {
+                            Metadata = meta,
+                            Plugin = null
+                        }
+                    };
+
+                    if (meta.Features.FirstOrDefault(f => f is NoUpdateFeature) != null)
+                    { // disable updating, by only matching self
+                        dep.Requirement = new Range(meta.Version.ToString());
                     }
-                });
+
+                    depList.Value.Add(dep);
+                }
             }
 
             foreach (var dep in depList.Value)