diff --git a/pkg/buildpack/builder.go b/pkg/buildpack/builder.go
index 6bdaecad3..6c80235f1 100644
--- a/pkg/buildpack/builder.go
+++ b/pkg/buildpack/builder.go
@@ -269,15 +269,24 @@ func validateBuildpacks(mainBP Buildpack, depBPs []Buildpack) error {
 		bpd := bp.Descriptor()
 		for _, orderEntry := range bpd.Order {
 			for _, groupEntry := range orderEntry.Group {
-				if _, ok := depsWithRefs[groupEntry.BuildpackInfo.FullName()]; !ok {
+				bpFullName, err := groupEntry.BuildpackInfo.FullNameWithVersion()
+				if err != nil {
+					return errors.Wrapf(
+						err,
+						"buildpack %s must specify a version when referencing buildpack %s",
+						style.Symbol(bpd.Info.FullName()),
+						style.Symbol(bpFullName),
+					)
+				}
+				if _, ok := depsWithRefs[bpFullName]; !ok {
 					return errors.Errorf(
 						"buildpack %s references buildpack %s which is not present",
 						style.Symbol(bpd.Info.FullName()),
-						style.Symbol(groupEntry.FullName()),
+						style.Symbol(bpFullName),
 					)
 				}
 
-				depsWithRefs[groupEntry.BuildpackInfo.FullName()] = append(depsWithRefs[groupEntry.BuildpackInfo.FullName()], bpd.Info)
+				depsWithRefs[bpFullName] = append(depsWithRefs[bpFullName], bpd.Info)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/buildpack/builder_test.go b/pkg/buildpack/builder_test.go
index b81fe82af..b732f9560 100644
--- a/pkg/buildpack/builder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/buildpack/builder_test.go
@@ -201,6 +201,41 @@ func testPackageBuilder(t *testing.T, when spec.G, it spec.S) {
 								h.AssertError(t, err, "buildpack 'bp.present.id@bp.present.version' references buildpack 'bp.missing.id@bp.missing.version' which is not present")
 							})
 						})
+
+						when("there is a referenced buildpack from dependency buildpack that does not have proper version defined", func() {
+							it("should error", func() {
+								mainBP, err := ifakes.NewFakeBuildpack(dist.BuildpackDescriptor{
+									API: api.MustParse("0.2"),
+									Info: dist.BuildpackInfo{
+										ID:      "bp.1.id",
+										Version: "bp.1.version",
+									},
+									Order: dist.Order{{
+										Group: []dist.BuildpackRef{
+											{BuildpackInfo: dist.BuildpackInfo{ID: "bp.present.id", Version: "bp.present.version"}},
+										},
+									}},
+								}, 0644)
+								h.AssertNil(t, err)
+								builder := buildpack.NewBuilder(mockImageFactory(expectedImageOS))
+								builder.SetBuildpack(mainBP)
+
+								presentBP, err := ifakes.NewFakeBuildpack(dist.BuildpackDescriptor{
+									API:  api.MustParse("0.2"),
+									Info: dist.BuildpackInfo{ID: "bp.present.id", Version: "bp.present.version"},
+									Order: dist.Order{{
+										Group: []dist.BuildpackRef{
+											{BuildpackInfo: dist.BuildpackInfo{ID: "bp.missing.id"}},
+										},
+									}},
+								}, 0644)
+								h.AssertNil(t, err)
+								builder.AddDependency(presentBP)
+
+								err = testFn(builder)
+								h.AssertError(t, err, "buildpack 'bp.present.id@bp.present.version' must specify a version when referencing buildpack 'bp.missing.id'")
+							})
+						})
 					})
 
 					when("validate stacks", func() {
diff --git a/pkg/dist/buildpack.go b/pkg/dist/buildpack.go
index 4042c717d..7cd86d71a 100644
--- a/pkg/dist/buildpack.go
+++ b/pkg/dist/buildpack.go
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 package dist
 
+import (
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
+	"github.com/buildpacks/pack/internal/style"
+)
+
 const AssumedBuildpackAPIVersion = "0.1"
 const BuildpacksDir = "/cnb/buildpacks"
 
@@ -20,6 +26,13 @@ func (b BuildpackInfo) FullName() string {
 	return b.ID
 }
 
+func (b BuildpackInfo) FullNameWithVersion() (string, error) {
+	if b.Version == "" {
+		return b.ID, errors.Errorf("buildpack %s does not have a version defined", style.Symbol(b.ID))
+	}
+	return b.ID + "@" + b.Version, nil
+}
+
 // Satisfy stringer
 func (b BuildpackInfo) String() string { return b.FullName() }