diff --git a/src/cargo/core/dependency.rs b/src/cargo/core/dependency.rs
index 0b3aba8ada5..93bc0e6b3d1 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/dependency.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/dependency.rs
@@ -324,6 +324,12 @@ impl Dependency {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Sets the version requirement as any for this dependency.
+    pub fn set_version_req_as_any(&mut self) -> &mut Dependency {
+        Rc::make_mut(&mut self.inner).req = OptVersionReq::Any;
+        self
+    }
+
     pub fn set_platform(&mut self, platform: Option<Platform>) -> &mut Dependency {
         Rc::make_mut(&mut self.inner).platform = platform;
         self
diff --git a/src/cargo/core/resolver/errors.rs b/src/cargo/core/resolver/errors.rs
index ca5c833f4bc..81c0f0b6299 100644
--- a/src/cargo/core/resolver/errors.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/core/resolver/errors.rs
@@ -223,9 +223,8 @@ pub(super) fn activation_error(
     // Maybe the user mistyped the ver_req? Like `dep="2"` when `dep="0.2"`
     // was meant. So we re-query the registry with `dep="*"` so we can
     // list a few versions that were actually found.
-    let all_req = semver::VersionReq::parse("*").unwrap();
     let mut new_dep = dep.clone();
-    new_dep.set_version_req(all_req);
+    new_dep.set_version_req_as_any();
 
     let mut candidates = loop {
         match registry.query_vec(&new_dep, QueryKind::Exact) {
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/patch.rs b/tests/testsuite/patch.rs
index f2f077d7d86..69b71d0431c 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/patch.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/patch.rs
@@ -1816,7 +1816,7 @@ fn multipatch_select_big() {
 
     // assert the build succeeds, which is only possible if 0.2.0 is selected
     // since 0.1.0 is missing the function we need. Afterwards assert that the
-    // build succeeds again without updating anything or building anything else.
+    // build succeeds again without updating anything or building anything else.o
     p.cargo("check").run();
     p.cargo("check")
         .with_stderr(
@@ -2658,3 +2658,42 @@ failed to select a version for `qux` which could resolve this conflict"#,
         )
         .run();
 }
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn mismatched_version_with_prerelease() {
+    // A patch to a location that has an prerelease version
+    let p = project()
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+                 [package]
+                 name = "foo"
+                 version = "0.1.0"
+
+                 [dependencies]
+                 prerelease-deps = "0.1.0"
+
+                 [patch.crates-io]
+                 prerelease-deps = { path = "./prerelease-deps" }
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file("src/lib.rs", "")
+        .file(
+            "prerelease-deps/Cargo.toml",
+            &basic_manifest("prerelease-deps", "0.1.1-pre1"),
+        )
+        .file("prerelease-deps/src/lib.rs", "")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("generate-lockfile")
+        .with_status(101)
+        .with_stderr(
+            r#"[UPDATING] crates.io index
+[ERROR] failed to select a version for the requirement `prerelease-deps = "^0.1.0"`
+candidate versions found which didn't match: 0.1.1-pre1
+location searched: crates.io index
+required by package `foo v0.1.0 [..]`
+perhaps a crate was updated and forgotten to be re-vendored?"#,
+        )
+        .run();
+}