diff --git a/bin/epm-sh-functions b/bin/epm-sh-functions
index 97759f9e8717401a11fb208f7cb3d3a4e4622a53..788c9adde2bfa31c75d04a93647e9dcd02a7f47d 100644
--- a/bin/epm-sh-functions
+++ b/bin/epm-sh-functions
@@ -1117,3 +1117,16 @@ else
 	}
 fi
 
+set_backend()
+{
+    case $arg in
+        *:*)
+            PMTYPE=$(echo "$arg" | cut -d: -f1)
+            names=$(echo "$arg" | cut -d: -f2)
+            ;;
+        *)
+            PMTYPE=$($DISTRVENDOR -g)
+            names="$(echo $pkg_names | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v ':' | filter_out_installed_packages)"
+    esac
+}
+