diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/pkg.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/pkg.el
index 9045c4b8514..58596de43c8 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/pkg.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/pkg.el
@@ -503,8 +503,11 @@ returned if found.
 Value is nil if no package with the given name is found. "
   (if (packagep package)
       package
-    (let ((name (pkg--stringify-name package "package name")))
-      (gethash name *package-registry*))))
+    (let* ((name (pkg--stringify-name package "package name"))
+           (local (assoc name (package-local-nicknames *package*))))
+      (if local
+          (cdr local)
+        (gethash name *package-registry*)))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun delete-package (package)
diff --git a/src/pkg.c b/src/pkg.c
index b1d79824de8..3ad828d4ba5 100644
--- a/src/pkg.c
+++ b/src/pkg.c
@@ -143,9 +143,12 @@ pkg_find_package (Lisp_Object name)
     = XPACKAGE (Vearmuffs_package)->local_nicknames;
   if (!NILP (local_nicknames))
     {
-      const Lisp_Object entry = CALLN (Fassoc, name, local_nicknames);
+      const Lisp_Object entry = Fassoc (name, local_nicknames, Qnil);
       if (!NILP (entry))
-	return XCDR (entry);
+	{
+	  eassert (PACKAGEP (XCDR (entry)));
+	  return XCDR (entry);
+	}
     }
 
   return Fgethash (name, Vpackage_registry, Qnil);