diff --git a/apt-pkg/cachefile.cc b/apt-pkg/cachefile.cc
index 4130dc1a..cf1a92a6 100644
--- a/apt-pkg/cachefile.cc
+++ b/apt-pkg/cachefile.cc
@@ -1295,6 +1295,36 @@ void Stats(std::ostream &out, std::ostream &l_c3out, pkgDepCache &Dep, pkgDepCac
    }
 }
 									/*}}}*/
+// IsVirtualPackage - Check if package is virtual (no versions, has providers)	/*{{{*/
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+/* Virtual packages have no actual versions but are provided by other packages */
+static inline bool IsVirtualPackage(pkgCache::PkgIterator const &Pkg)
+{
+   return (Pkg->VersionList == 0) && (Pkg->ProvidesList != 0);
+}
+									/*}}}*/
+// GetInstalledProviders - Get installed providers of a virtual package	/*{{{*/
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+/* Returns list of all installed packages that provide the given virtual pkg */
+static std::vector<pkgCache::PkgIterator> GetInstalledProviders(
+   pkgCache::PkgIterator const &VirtualPkg,
+   pkgDepCache &Dep)
+{
+   std::vector<pkgCache::PkgIterator> Providers;
+
+   for (pkgCache::PrvIterator Prv = VirtualPkg.ProvidesList();
+        not Prv.end(); ++Prv)
+   {
+      pkgCache::PkgIterator Provider = Prv.OwnerPkg();
+      if ((Provider->CurrentState == pkgCache::State::Installed) ||
+          Dep[Provider].Install())
+      {
+         Providers.push_back(Provider);
+      }
+   }
+
+   return Providers;
+}
 
 bool pkgDoAuto(std::ostream &c1out, const CommandLine &CmdL, int &auto_mark_changed, pkgDepCache &Dep)
 {
@@ -1309,40 +1339,89 @@ bool pkgDoAuto(std::ostream &c1out, const CommandLine &CmdL, int &auto_mark_chan
    for (const char **I = CmdL.FileList + 1; *I != 0; ++I)
    {
       auto pkgiter = Dep.FindPkg(*I);
-      if (!pkgiter.end())
+      if (pkgiter.end())
+      {
+         continue;
+      }
+
+      // Handle virtual packages: apply to all installed providers
+      if (IsVirtualPackage(pkgiter))
       {
-         if ((pkgiter->CurrentState == pkgCache::State::NotInstalled) && (!Dep[pkgiter].NewInstall()))
+         std::vector<pkgCache::PkgIterator> Providers = GetInstalledProviders(pkgiter, Dep);
+
+         if (Providers.empty())
          {
-            ioprintf(c1out, _("%s can not be marked as it is not installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+            ioprintf(c1out, _("%s is a virtual package with no installed providers.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
             continue;
          }
 
-         else if (((Dep[pkgiter].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == MarkAuto)
+         // Apply to each installed provider
+         for (auto const &Provider : Providers)
          {
+            if (((Dep[Provider].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == MarkAuto)
+            {
+               if (!MarkAuto)
+               {
+                  ioprintf(c1out, _("%s (provider of %s) was already set to manually installed.\n"),
+                           Provider.Name(), pkgiter.Name());
+               }
+               else
+               {
+                  ioprintf(c1out, _("%s (provider of %s) was already set to automatically installed.\n"),
+                           Provider.Name(), pkgiter.Name());
+               }
+               continue;
+            }
+
             if (!MarkAuto)
             {
-               ioprintf(c1out,_("%s was already set to manually installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+               ioprintf(c1out, _("%s (provider of %s) set to manually installed.\n"),
+                        Provider.Name(), pkgiter.Name());
             }
             else
             {
-               ioprintf(c1out,_("%s was already set to automatically installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+               ioprintf(c1out, _("%s (provider of %s) set to automatically installed.\n"),
+                        Provider.Name(), pkgiter.Name());
             }
 
-            continue;
+            Dep.MarkAuto(Provider, MarkAuto ? pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Auto : pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Manual);
+            ++AutoMarkChanged;
          }
+         continue;
+      }
 
+      // Handle real packages (existing logic)
+      if ((pkgiter->CurrentState == pkgCache::State::NotInstalled) && (!Dep[pkgiter].NewInstall()))
+      {
+         ioprintf(c1out, _("%s can not be marked as it is not installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+         continue;
+      }
+
+      if (((Dep[pkgiter].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == MarkAuto)
+      {
          if (!MarkAuto)
          {
-            ioprintf(c1out,_("%s set to manually installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+            ioprintf(c1out,_("%s was already set to manually installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
          }
          else
          {
-            ioprintf(c1out,_("%s set to automatically installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+            ioprintf(c1out,_("%s was already set to automatically installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
          }
 
-         Dep.MarkAuto(pkgiter, MarkAuto ? pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Auto : pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Manual);
-         ++AutoMarkChanged;
+         continue;
       }
+
+      if (!MarkAuto)
+      {
+         ioprintf(c1out,_("%s set to manually installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+      }
+      else
+      {
+         ioprintf(c1out,_("%s set to automatically installed.\n"), pkgiter.Name());
+      }
+
+      Dep.MarkAuto(pkgiter, MarkAuto ? pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Auto : pkgDepCache::AutoMarkFlag::Manual);
+      ++AutoMarkChanged;
    }
 
    auto_mark_changed = AutoMarkChanged;
@@ -1394,22 +1473,47 @@ bool pkgDoShowAuto(std::ostream &cout, const CommandLine &CmdL, pkgDepCache &Dep
       for (const char **I = CmdL.FileList + 1; *I != 0; ++I)
       {
          auto pkgiter = Dep.FindPkg(*I);
-         if (!pkgiter.end())
+         if (pkgiter.end())
+         {
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         // Handle virtual packages: show state of all installed providers
+         if (IsVirtualPackage(pkgiter))
          {
-            if ((pkgiter->CurrentState == pkgCache::State::Installed) || (Dep[pkgiter].Install()))
+            std::vector<pkgCache::PkgIterator> Providers = GetInstalledProviders(pkgiter, Dep);
+
+            for (auto const &Provider : Providers)
             {
-               bool current_state_is_auto = ((Dep[pkgiter].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto);
+               bool current_state_is_auto = ((Dep[Provider].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto);
                if (ShowState)
                {
                   std::stringstream str;
-                  str << pkgiter.Name() << " " << (current_state_is_auto ? "auto" : "manual");
+                  str << Provider.Name() << " " << (current_state_is_auto ? "auto" : "manual");
                   packages.push_back(str.str());
                }
                else if (current_state_is_auto == ShowAuto)
                {
-                  packages.push_back(pkgiter.Name());
+                  packages.push_back(Provider.Name());
                }
             }
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         // Handle real packages (existing logic)
+         if ((pkgiter->CurrentState == pkgCache::State::Installed) || (Dep[pkgiter].Install()))
+         {
+            bool current_state_is_auto = ((Dep[pkgiter].Flags & pkgCache::Flag::Auto) == pkgCache::Flag::Auto);
+            if (ShowState)
+            {
+               std::stringstream str;
+               str << pkgiter.Name() << " " << (current_state_is_auto ? "auto" : "manual");
+               packages.push_back(str.str());
+            }
+            else if (current_state_is_auto == ShowAuto)
+            {
+               packages.push_back(pkgiter.Name());
+            }
          }
       }
    }