diff --git a/packer_test/install_test.go b/packer_test/install_test.go
index abc017dd3..1f039b51e 100644
--- a/packer_test/install_test.go
+++ b/packer_test/install_test.go
@@ -77,10 +77,24 @@ func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestRemoteInstallWithPluginsInstall() {
 			SetArgs("plugins", "install", "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups").
 			Assert(MustSucceed())
 	})
+}
+
+func (ts *PackerTestSuite) TestRemoteInstallOfPreReleasePlugin() {
+	pluginPath, cleanup := ts.MakePluginDir()
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ts.Run("try to init with a pre-release constraint - should fail", func() {
+		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
+			SetArgs("init", "templates/pre-release_constraint.pkr.hcl").
+			Assert(MustFail(),
+				Grep("Invalid version constraint", grepStdout),
+				Grep("Unsupported prerelease for constraint", grepStdout))
+	})
 
-	ts.Run("install dev version of a remote plugin with packer plugins install - must fail", func() {
+	ts.Run("try to plugins install with a pre-release version - should fail", func() {
 		ts.PackerCommand().UsePluginDir(pluginPath).
-			SetArgs("plugins", "install", "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups", "v1.0.2-dev").
-			Assert(MustFail(), Grep("Remote installation of pre-release plugin versions is unsupported.", grepStdout))
+			SetArgs("plugin", "install", "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups", "1.0.2-dev").
+			Assert(MustFail(),
+				Grep("Unsupported prerelease for constraint", grepStdout))
 	})
 }
diff --git a/packer_test/templates/pre-release_constraint.pkr.hcl b/packer_test/templates/pre-release_constraint.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c1e56b583
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packer_test/templates/pre-release_constraint.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+packer {
+	required_plugins {
+		tester = {
+			source = "github.com/hashicorp/hashicups"
+			version = "= 1.0.2-dev"
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+source "tester-dynamic" "test" {}
+
+build {
+	sources = ["tester-dynamic.test"]
+}