diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 610a4a3..773ff9c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function parse_desc_stream(descstream, callback) {
 		return callback('Invalid record: ' + rec.value);
 	    }
 	    if (deps.indexOf(rec.key) > -1) {
-	      rec.value = parse_dep(rec.value);
+	      rec.value = parse_dep_string(rec.value);
 	    }
 	    if (rec.key == 'Remotes') {
 	      rec.value = parse_remotes(rec.value);
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ function parse_desc_stream(descstream, callback) {
     descstream.on('end', finisher);
 }
 
-function parse_dep(str) {
+function parse_dep_string(str) {
   return str.split(/,[\s]*/s).filter(function(str){
     return str.trim(); //filter out empty strings
   }).map(function(str){
@@ -187,5 +187,6 @@ parse_desc_stream.parse_tar_file   = parse_tar_file;
 parse_desc_stream.parse_tar_stream = parse_tar_stream;
 parse_desc_stream.parse_zip_file   = parse_zip_file;
 parse_desc_stream.parse_zip_stream = parse_zip_stream;
+parse_desc_stream.parse_dep_string = parse_dep_string;
 
 module.exports = parse_desc_stream;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1d4d0e0..16f69f3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "rdesc-parser",
-  "version": "3.0.0",
+  "version": "3.0.1",
   "description": "Parser for R package DESCRIPTION files.",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 8275c7b..e8e783e 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -149,3 +149,10 @@ test.cb('parse_file, zip file', function(t) {
 	t.end();
     });
 });
+
+test.cb('parse dependency string', function(t){
+    var deps = desc.parse_dep_string("foo (>= 1.2.3), bar");
+    t.deepEqual(deps[0], {package:'foo', version: '>= 1.2.3'});
+    t.deepEqual(deps[1], {package:'bar'});
+    t.end();
+});