diff --git a/pym/_emerge/depgraph.py b/pym/_emerge/depgraph.py
index 039dbdc..b05e38a 100644
--- a/pym/_emerge/depgraph.py
+++ b/pym/_emerge/depgraph.py
@@ -2516,6 +2516,16 @@ class depgraph(object):
 		for root, atom in self._dynamic_config._slot_abi_replace_installed:
 			atom_list.append((root, '__auto_slot_abi_replace_installed__', atom))
 
+		# Add slot atoms for packages where updating might solve a
+		# conflict, but the package wouldn't be pulled in otherwise.
+		# Note that this can't result in strange errors being
+		# displayed to the user, because if the backtracker gives
+		# up, the resolution is done without _runtime_pkg_mask and
+		# the original error gets displayed.
+		for pkg in self._dynamic_config._runtime_pkg_mask:
+			if "force update" in self._dynamic_config._runtime_pkg_mask[pkg]:
+				atom_list.append((pkg.root, '__auto_blocker_force_update__', pkg.slot_atom))
+
 		set_dict = {}
 		for root, set_name, atom in atom_list:
 			set_dict.setdefault((root, set_name), []).append(atom)
@@ -5077,6 +5087,48 @@ class depgraph(object):
 				if unresolved_blocks:
 					self._dynamic_config._unsolvable_blockers.add(blocker, parent)
 
+					#Check if all parents of the package(s) that is/are blocked by this blocker
+					#are installed. If this is true, the blocked package(s) might not be
+					#pulled into the tree if we force updates for the parent packages.
+					pkgs_forced_to_update = set()
+					all_parents_installed = True
+					for blocked_pkg in blocked_initial:
+						for ppkg, patom in self._dynamic_config._parent_atoms.get(blocked_pkg):
+							if not ppkg.installed:
+								all_parents_installed = False
+							pkgs_forced_to_update.add(ppkg)
+
+					if all_parents_installed:
+						if "--debug" in self._frozen_config.myopts:
+								msg = []
+								msg.append("")
+								msg.append("")
+								msg.append("backtracking due to conflicting packages:")
+								msg.append("  blocker parent: %s" % blocker)
+								msg.append("      root: %s" % blocker.root)
+								msg.append("      atom: %s" % blocker.atom)
+								for blocked_pkg in blocked_initial:
+									msg.append("      blocked package: %s" % blocked_pkg)
+									for ppkg, patom in self._dynamic_config._parent_atoms.get(blocked_pkg):
+										msg.append("        masked parent: %s" % ppkg)
+								msg.append("")
+								writemsg_level("".join("%s\n" % l for l in msg),
+									noiselevel=-1, level=logging.DEBUG)
+
+						for ppkg in pkgs_forced_to_update:
+							if ppkg in self._dynamic_config._runtime_pkg_mask:
+								if "--debug" in self._frozen_config.myopts:
+									writemsg(
+										"!!! backtracking loop detected: %s %s\n" % \
+										(ppkg,
+										self._dynamic_config._runtime_pkg_mask[
+										ppkg]), noiselevel=-1)
+							self._dynamic_config._runtime_pkg_mask.setdefault(
+								ppkg, {})["force update"] = \
+									set([(ppkg, ppkg.root, blocker.atom)])
+
+						self._dynamic_config._need_restart = True
+
 		return True
 
 	def _accept_blocker_conflicts(self):
diff --git a/pym/portage/tests/resolver/test_backtracking.py b/pym/portage/tests/resolver/test_backtracking.py
index 600f682..5565e97 100644
--- a/pym/portage/tests/resolver/test_backtracking.py
+++ b/pym/portage/tests/resolver/test_backtracking.py
@@ -210,3 +210,47 @@ class BacktrackingTestCase(TestCase):
 				self.assertEqual(test_case.test_success, True, test_case.fail_msg)
 		finally:
 			playground.cleanup()
+
+	def testBacktrackBlockerForceUpdate(self):
+		"""
+		Force updates of old packages that trigger blockers, for
+		bug #290818. This test currently fails because the
+		dev-libs/B-2 update doesn't get pulled in automatically,
+		and the old version can't simply be uninstalled because
+		dev-libs/B is a deep dependency of @world via dev-libs/D.
+		"""
+
+		ebuilds = {
+			"dev-libs/A-1": {"RDEPEND": "dev-libs/B"},
+			"dev-libs/A-2": {"RDEPEND": "dev-libs/C"},
+			"dev-libs/B-1": {},
+			"dev-libs/B-2": {},
+			"dev-libs/C-1": {"RDEPEND": "!<dev-libs/B-2"},
+			"dev-libs/D-1": {"RDEPEND": "dev-libs/B"},
+		}
+
+		installed = {
+			"dev-libs/A-1": {"RDEPEND": "dev-libs/B"},
+			"dev-libs/B-1": {},
+			"dev-libs/D-1": {"RDEPEND": "dev-libs/B"},
+		}
+
+		world = ["dev-libs/A", "dev-libs/D"]
+
+		test_cases = (
+			ResolverPlaygroundTestCase(
+				["dev-libs/A"],
+				options =  {'--oneshot': True, '--update' : True},
+				mergelist = ['dev-libs/B-2', 'dev-libs/C-1', 'dev-libs/A-2'],
+				success = True),
+		)
+
+		playground = ResolverPlayground(ebuilds=ebuilds,
+			installed=installed, world=world, debug=True)
+
+		try:
+			for test_case in test_cases:
+				playground.run_TestCase(test_case)
+				self.assertEqual(test_case.test_success, True, test_case.fail_msg)
+		finally:
+			playground.cleanup()