diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Revision history for hackage-db
+
+## 2.1.3
+
+* `hackageTarball` / `cabalStateDir` now support overriding the cabal directory
+  location by setting the `CABAL_DIR` environment variable. This is useful if
+  `hackage-db` doesn't detect the correct location on its own:
+
+  - A matching cabal state directory may exist, but should not be used for some
+    reason.
+
+  - A non-standard cabal state directory may be used, but `hackage-db` can't
+    find it (as it doesn't check the `cabal-install` configuration file).
+
+* `hackageTarball` now supports all state dir location(s) (newly) supported by
+  `cabal-install`. If `CABAL_DIR` is not set, it will look in the following
+  locations in that order:
+
+  1. `$HOME/.cabal`, the classic location, will be preferred if it exists.
+  2. `$XDG_CACHE_HOME/cabal` (usually `$HOME/.cache/cabal`) is used otherwise.
+     `cabal-install` 3.10.1.0 and newer will default to this location for
+     fresh installations.
+
+## 2.1.2
+
+Fix a bug which lead to `parsePackageData` always failing if the package had
+a `preferred-versions` file in the hackage tarball.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+hackage-db
+==========
+
+[![hackage release](https://img.shields.io/hackage/v/hackage-db.svg?label=hackage)](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hackage-db)
+[![stackage LTS package](http://stackage.org/package/hackage-db/badge/lts)](http://stackage.org/lts/package/hackage-db)
+[![stackage Nightly package](http://stackage.org/package/hackage-db/badge/nightly)](http://stackage.org/nightly/package/hackage-db)
+![Continous Integration](https://github.com/NixOS/cabal2nix/workflows/Haskell-CI/badge.svg)
diff --git a/example/list-known-versions.hs b/example/list-known-versions.hs
--- a/example/list-known-versions.hs
+++ b/example/list-known-versions.hs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Unparsed
 
 import Control.Monad
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BS
+import qualified Data.ByteString as BS
 import Data.List as List
 import Data.Map as Map
 import Distribution.Text
diff --git a/example/show-meta-data.hs b/example/show-meta-data.hs
--- a/example/show-meta-data.hs
+++ b/example/show-meta-data.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
 
 import Control.Monad
-import Data.ByteString.Lazy.UTF8 as BS
+import Data.ByteString.UTF8 as BS
 import Data.Map as Map
 import Distribution.Package
 import System.Environment
diff --git a/hackage-db.cabal b/hackage-db.cabal
--- a/hackage-db.cabal
+++ b/hackage-db.cabal
@@ -1,106 +1,85 @@
-name:                   hackage-db
-version:                2.0.1
-license:                BSD3
-license-file:           LICENSE
-author:                 Peter Simons, Alexander Altman, Ben James
-maintainer:             Peter Simons <simons@cryp.to>
-homepage:               https://github.com/peti/hackage-db#readme
-bug-reports:            https://github.com/peti/hackage-db/issues
-category:               Distribution
-synopsis:               Access Hackage's package database via Data.Map
-cabal-version:          >= 1.10
-build-type:             Simple
-tested-with:            GHC == 7.6.3, GHC == 7.8.4, GHC == 7.10.3
-                      , GHC == 8.0.2, GHC == 8.2.2, GHC == 8.4.1
-
-description:
-  This is an early and mostly undocumented release of the 2.x version of
-  hackage-db that's intended mostly for experimenting with and testing of the
-  new API. Porting code from 1.x to 2.x is pretty simple, but if you do that at
-  this point, please expect minor details of this API to change in forthcoming
-  releases.
-  .
-  Check out https://github.com/peti/hackage-db/tree/master/example/ for a
-  collection of simple example programs that demonstrate how to use this code.
+name:          hackage-db
+version:       2.1.3
+synopsis:      Access cabal-install's Hackage database via Data.Map
+description:   This library provides convenient access to the local copy of the Hackage
+               database that \"cabal update\" creates. Check out
+               <https://github.com/NixOS/hackage-db/tree/master/example/> for a collection
+               of simple example programs that demonstrate how to use this code.
+license:       BSD3
+license-file:  LICENSE
+author:        Peter Simons, Alexander Altman, Ben James, Kevin Quick
+maintainer:    sternenseemann <sternenseemann@systemli.org>
+tested-with:   GHC == 8.8.4 || == 8.10.7 || == 9.0.2 || == 9.2.7 || == 9.4.4
+category:      Distribution
+homepage:      https://github.com/NixOS/cabal2nix/tree/master/hackage-db#readme
+bug-reports:   https://github.com/NixOS/cabal2nix/issues
+build-type:    Simple
+cabal-version: >= 1.10
+extra-source-files: README.md
+                    CHANGELOG.md
 
 source-repository head
-  type: git
-  location: git://github.com/peti/hackage-db.git
+  type:     git
+  location: git://github.com/NixOS/cabal2nix.git
+  subdir:   hackage-db
 
 flag install-examples
-  description:   Build and install example programs.
-  default:       False
+  default:     False
+  description: Build and install example programs.
 
 library
-  hs-source-dirs:
-      src
-  other-extensions: DeriveDataTypeable DeriveGeneric
-  build-depends:
-      base >= 3 && < 5
-    , Cabal >2.2
-    , containers
-    , aeson
-    , bytestring
-    , directory
-    , filepath
-    , tar >= 0.4
-    , time
-    , utf8-string
-  exposed-modules:
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.Errors
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.MetaData
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.Parsed
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.Path
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.Unparsed
-      Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
-  other-modules:
-      Paths_hackage_db
+  exposed-modules:  Distribution.Hackage.DB
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Builder
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Errors
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.MetaData
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Parsed
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Path
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Unparsed
+                    Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
+  other-modules:    Paths_hackage_db
+  hs-source-dirs:   src
+  build-depends:    base        >= 4.9 && < 5
+                  , Cabal       > 3
+                  , aeson
+                  , bytestring
+                  , containers
+                  , directory
+                  , exceptions
+                  , filepath
+                  , tar         >= 0.4
+                  , time
+                  , utf8-string
   default-language: Haskell2010
+  other-extensions: DeriveDataTypeable
+                    DeriveGeneric
 
 executable list-known-versions
-  main-is:              list-known-versions.hs
-  hs-source-dirs:       example
+  main-is:          list-known-versions.hs
+  hs-source-dirs:   example
+  default-language: Haskell2010
+
   if flag(install-examples)
-    buildable:          True
-    build-depends:
-        base >= 3 && < 5
-      , Cabal
-      , containers
-      , hackage-db
-      , bytestring
+    build-depends: base >= 3 && < 5, Cabal, bytestring, containers, hackage-db
   else
-    buildable:          False
-  default-language: Haskell2010
+    buildable: False
 
 executable show-meta-data
-  main-is: show-meta-data.hs
-  hs-source-dirs:
-      example
+  main-is:          show-meta-data.hs
+  hs-source-dirs:   example
+  default-language: Haskell2010
+
   if flag(install-examples)
-    buildable:          True
-    build-depends:
-        base >= 3 && < 5
-      , Cabal
-      , containers
-      , hackage-db
-      , utf8-string
+    build-depends: base >= 3 && < 5, Cabal, containers, hackage-db, utf8-string
   else
-    buildable:          False
-  default-language: Haskell2010
+    buildable: False
 
 executable show-package-versions
-  main-is: show-package-versions.hs
-  hs-source-dirs:
-      example
+  main-is:          show-package-versions.hs
+  hs-source-dirs:   example
+  default-language: Haskell2010
   other-extensions: CPP
+
   if flag(install-examples)
-    buildable:          True
-    build-depends:
-        base >= 3 && < 5
-      , Cabal
-      , containers
-      , hackage-db
+    build-depends: base >= 3 && < 5, Cabal, containers, hackage-db
   else
-    buildable:          False
-  default-language: Haskell2010
+    buildable: False
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Builder.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Builder.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Builder.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE BangPatterns #-}
+
+{- |
+   Maintainer:  simons@cryp.to
+   Stability:   provisional
+   Portability: portable
+ -}
+
+module Distribution.Hackage.DB.Builder
+  ( readTarball, parseTarball
+  , Builder(..)
+  )
+  where
+
+import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Errors
+import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
+
+import Codec.Archive.Tar as Tar
+import Codec.Archive.Tar.Entry as Tar
+import Control.Monad.Catch
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BSL
+import Distribution.Types.PackageName
+import Distribution.Types.Version
+import System.FilePath
+
+readTarball :: FilePath -> IO (Entries FormatError)
+readTarball = fmap Tar.read . BSL.readFile
+
+data Builder m a = Builder
+  { insertPreferredVersions :: PackageName -> EpochTime -> BSL.ByteString -> a -> m a
+  , insertCabalFile :: PackageName -> Version -> EpochTime -> BSL.ByteString -> a -> m a
+  , insertMetaFile :: PackageName -> Version -> EpochTime -> BSL.ByteString -> a -> m a
+  }
+
+{-# INLINABLE parseTarball #-}
+parseTarball :: MonadThrow m => Builder m a -> Maybe EpochTime -> Entries FormatError -> a -> m a
+parseTarball b (Just et) (Next e es) !db = if entryTime e > et then return db else insertEntry b e db >>= parseTarball b (Just et) es
+parseTarball b Nothing   (Next e es) !db = insertEntry b e db >>= parseTarball b Nothing es
+parseTarball _ _         (Fail err)  _   = throwM err
+parseTarball _ _         Done        !db = return db
+
+{-# INLINABLE insertEntry #-}
+insertEntry :: MonadThrow m => Builder m a -> Entry -> a -> m a
+insertEntry b e db =
+  case (splitDirectories (entryPath e), entryContent e) of
+    ([pn,"preferred-versions"], NormalFile buf _) -> insertPreferredVersions b (mkPackageName pn) (entryTime e) buf db
+    ([pn,v,file],               NormalFile buf _)
+      | takeExtension file == ".cabal"            -> insertCabalFile b (mkPackageName pn) (parseText "Version" v) (entryTime e) buf db
+      | takeExtension file == ".json"             -> insertMetaFile b (mkPackageName pn) (parseText "Version" v) (entryTime e) buf db
+    _                                             -> throwM (UnsupportedTarEntry e)
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/MetaData.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/MetaData.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/MetaData.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/MetaData.hs
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@
 -- >>> :set -XOverloadedStrings
 -- >>> parseMetaData "{\"signatures\":[],\"signed\":{\"_type\":\"Targets\",\"expires\":null,\"targets\":{\"<repo>/package/jailbreak-cabal-1.3.2.tar.gz\":{\"hashes\":{\"md5\":\"ba42b3e68323ccbeb3ac900cd68f9e90\",\"sha256\":\"212a8bbc3dfc748c4063282414a2726709d651322f3984c9989179d2352950f4\"},\"length\":2269}},\"version\":0}}"
 -- MetaData {signed = SignedMetaData {version = 0, expires = Nothing, _type = "Targets", targets = fromList [("<repo>/package/jailbreak-cabal-1.3.2.tar.gz",TargetData {length = 2269, hashes = fromList [("md5","ba42b3e68323ccbeb3ac900cd68f9e90"),("sha256","212a8bbc3dfc748c4063282414a2726709d651322f3984c9989179d2352950f4")]})]}, signatures = []}
--- >>> parseMetaData "{}"
--- *** Exception: InvalidMetaFile "Error in $: key \"signed\" not present"
--- >>> parseMetaData ""
--- *** Exception: InvalidMetaFile "Error in $: not enough input"
 
 parseMetaData :: ByteString -> MetaData
 parseMetaData = either (throw . InvalidMetaFile) id . eitherDecode
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Parsed.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Parsed.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Parsed.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Parsed.hs
@@ -13,9 +13,13 @@
 import qualified Distribution.Hackage.DB.Unparsed as U
 import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
 
+import Codec.Archive.Tar
+import Codec.Archive.Tar.Entry
 import Control.Exception
-import Data.ByteString.Lazy as BS
-import Data.ByteString.Lazy.UTF8 as BS
+import Control.Monad.Catch
+import Data.ByteString as BSS
+import Data.ByteString.Lazy as BSL
+import Data.ByteString.UTF8 as BSS
 import Data.Map as Map
 import Data.Maybe
 import Data.Time.Clock
@@ -23,6 +27,7 @@
 import Distribution.PackageDescription
 import Distribution.PackageDescription.Parsec
 import Distribution.Text
+import Distribution.Types.PackageVersionConstraint
 import Distribution.Version
 import GHC.Generics ( Generic )
 
@@ -36,10 +41,10 @@
   deriving (Show, Eq, Generic)
 
 readTarball :: Maybe UTCTime -> FilePath -> IO HackageDB
-readTarball snapshot path = fmap (parseTarball snapshot path) (BS.readFile path)
+readTarball snapshot tarball = fmap parseDB (U.readTarball snapshot tarball)
 
-parseTarball :: Maybe UTCTime -> FilePath -> ByteString -> HackageDB
-parseTarball snapshot path buf = parseDB (U.parseTarball snapshot path buf)
+parseTarball :: MonadThrow m => Maybe UTCTime -> Entries FormatError -> m HackageDB
+parseTarball snapshot es = fmap parseDB (U.parseTarball snapshot es mempty)
 
 parseDB :: U.HackageDB -> HackageDB
 parseDB = Map.mapWithKey parsePackageData
@@ -50,8 +55,9 @@
     Map.mapWithKey (parseVersionData pn) $
       Map.filterWithKey (\v _ -> v `withinRange` vr) vs'
   where
-    Dependency _ vr | BS.null pv = Dependency pn anyVersion
-                    | otherwise  = parseText "preferred version range" (toString pv)
+    PackageVersionConstraint _ vr
+      | BSS.null pv = PackageVersionConstraint pn anyVersion
+      | otherwise = parseText "preferred version range" (toString pv)
 
 parseVersionData :: PackageName -> Version -> U.VersionData -> VersionData
 parseVersionData pn v (U.VersionData cf m) =
@@ -59,12 +65,12 @@
      VersionData gpd (parseMetaData pn v m)
   where
     gpd = fromMaybe (throw (InvalidCabalFile (show (pn,v)))) $
-            parseGenericPackageDescriptionMaybe (toStrict cf)
+            parseGenericPackageDescriptionMaybe cf
 
-parseMetaData :: PackageName -> Version -> ByteString -> Map String String
-parseMetaData pn v buf | BS.null buf = Map.empty
-                       | otherwise   = maybe Map.empty U.hashes targetData
+parseMetaData :: PackageName -> Version -> BSS.ByteString -> Map String String
+parseMetaData pn v buf | BSS.null buf = Map.empty
+                       | otherwise    = maybe Map.empty U.hashes targetData
   where
-    targets = U.targets (U.signed (U.parseMetaData buf))
+    targets = U.targets (U.signed (U.parseMetaData (BSL.fromStrict buf)))
     target  = "<repo>/package/" ++ display pn ++ "-" ++ display v ++ ".tar.gz"
     targetData = Map.lookup target targets
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Path.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Path.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Path.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Path.hs
@@ -15,10 +15,37 @@
 
 import Control.Exception
 import System.Directory
+import System.Environment (lookupEnv)
 import System.FilePath
 
+-- |
+-- Determines the /state/ directory (which e.g. holds the hackage tarball)
+-- cabal-install uses via the following logic:
+--
+-- 1. If the @CABAL_DIR@ environment variable is set, its content is used as the
+--    cabal state directory
+-- 2. If @~/.cabal@ (see 'getAppUserDataDirectory') exists, use that.
+-- 3. Otherwise, use @${XDG_CACHE_HOME}/cabal@ (see @'getXdgDirectory' 'XdgCache'@)
+--    which is the new directory cabal-install can use starting with
+--    version @3.10.*@.
+--
+-- This logic is mostly equivalent to what upstream cabal-install is
+-- [doing](https://github.com/haskell/cabal/blob/0ed12188525335ac9759dc957d49979ab09382a1/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Config.hs#L594-L610)
+-- with the following exception:
+-- The state directory can freely be configured to use a different location
+-- in the cabal-install configuration file. hackage-db doesn't parse this
+-- configuration file, so differing state directories are ignored.
 cabalStateDir :: IO FilePath
-cabalStateDir = getAppUserDataDirectory "cabal"
+cabalStateDir = do
+  envCabal <- lookupEnv "CABAL_DIR"
+  dotCabal <- getAppUserDataDirectory "cabal"
+  dotCabalExists <- doesDirectoryExist dotCabal
+  case envCabal of
+    Just dir -> pure dir
+    Nothing ->
+      if dotCabalExists
+      then pure dotCabal
+      else getXdgDirectory XdgCache "cabal"
 
 cabalTarballDir :: String -> IO FilePath
 cabalTarballDir repo = do
@@ -29,16 +56,18 @@
 hackageTarballDir = cabalTarballDir "hackage.haskell.org"
 
 -- | Determine the default path of the Hackage database, which typically
--- resides at @"$HOME\/.cabal\/packages\/hackage.haskell.org\/00-index.tar"@.
--- Running the command @"cabal update"@ will keep that file up-to-date.
-
+-- resides in @$HOME\/.cabal\/packages\/hackage.haskell.org\/@.
+-- Running the command @cabal update@ or @cabal v2-update@ will keep the index
+-- up-to-date.
+--
+-- See 'cabalStateDir' on how @hackage-db@ searches for the cabal state directory.
 hackageTarball :: IO FilePath
 hackageTarball = do
   htd <- hackageTarballDir
   let idx00 = htd </> "00-index.tar"
       idx01 = htd </> "01-index.tar"
   -- Using 'msum' here would be nice, but unfortunetaly there was no reliable
-  -- MonadPlus instance for IO in pre 8.x versions of GHC. Se we use the ugly
+  -- MonadPlus instance for IO in pre 8.x versions of GHC. So we use the ugly
   -- code for sake of portability.
   have01 <- doesFileExist idx01
   if have01 then return idx01 else do
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Unparsed.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Unparsed.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Unparsed.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Unparsed.hs
@@ -9,82 +9,61 @@
 module Distribution.Hackage.DB.Unparsed
   ( HackageDB, PackageData(..), VersionData(..)
   , readTarball, parseTarball
+  , builder
   )
   where
 
-import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Errors
+import qualified Distribution.Hackage.DB.Builder as Build
+import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Builder ( Builder(..) )
 import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Utility
 
 import Codec.Archive.Tar as Tar
 import Codec.Archive.Tar.Entry as Tar
 import Control.Exception
-import Data.ByteString.Lazy as BS ( ByteString, empty, readFile )
-import Data.Map as Map
+import Control.Monad.Catch
+import Data.ByteString ( ByteString )
+import Data.ByteString.Lazy ( toStrict )
+import Data.Map.Strict as Map
 import Data.Time.Clock
-import Distribution.Package
-import Distribution.Version
+import Distribution.Types.PackageName
+import Distribution.Types.Version
 import GHC.Generics ( Generic )
 import System.FilePath
 
 type HackageDB = Map PackageName PackageData
 
-data PackageData = PackageData { preferredVersions :: ByteString
-                               , versions          :: Map Version VersionData
+data PackageData = PackageData { preferredVersions :: !ByteString
+                               , versions          :: !(Map Version VersionData)
                                }
   deriving (Show, Eq, Generic)
 
-data VersionData = VersionData { cabalFile :: ByteString
-                               , metaFile  :: ByteString
+data VersionData = VersionData { cabalFile :: !ByteString
+                               , metaFile  :: !ByteString
                                }
   deriving (Show, Eq, Generic)
 
 readTarball :: Maybe UTCTime -> FilePath -> IO HackageDB
-readTarball snapshot path = fmap (parseTarball snapshot path) (BS.readFile path)
-
-parseTarball :: Maybe UTCTime -> FilePath -> ByteString -> HackageDB
-parseTarball snapshot path buf =
-  mapException (\e -> HackageDBTarball path (e :: SomeException)) $
-    foldEntriesUntil (maybe maxBound toEpochTime snapshot) Map.empty (Tar.read buf)
-
-foldEntriesUntil :: EpochTime -> HackageDB -> Entries FormatError -> HackageDB
-foldEntriesUntil _        db  Done       = db
-foldEntriesUntil _        _  (Fail err)  = throw (IncorrectTarfile err)
-foldEntriesUntil snapshot db (Next e es) | entryTime e <= snapshot = foldEntriesUntil snapshot (handleEntry db e) es
-                                         | otherwise               = db
-
-handleEntry :: HackageDB -> Entry -> HackageDB
-handleEntry db e =
-  let (pn':ep) = splitDirectories (entryPath e)
-      pn = parseText "PackageName" pn'
-  in
-  case (ep, entryContent e) of
-
-    (["preferred-versions"], NormalFile buf _) -> insertWith setConstraint pn (PackageData buf Map.empty) db
-
-    ([v',file], NormalFile buf _) -> let v = parseText "Version" v' in
-          if file == pn' <.> "cabal" then insertVersionData setCabalFile pn v (VersionData buf BS.empty) db else
-          if file == "package.json" then insertVersionData setMetaFile pn v (VersionData BS.empty buf) db else
-          throw (UnsupportedTarEntry e)
-
-    (_, Directory) -> db                -- some tarballs have these superfluous entries
-    ([], NormalFile {}) -> db
-    ([], OtherEntryType {}) -> db
+readTarball snapshot tarball = Build.readTarball tarball >>= \es -> parseTarball snapshot es mempty
 
-    _ -> throw (UnsupportedTarEntry e)
+parseTarball :: MonadThrow m => Maybe UTCTime -> Entries FormatError -> HackageDB -> m HackageDB
+parseTarball = Build.parseTarball builder . fmap toEpochTime
 
-setConstraint :: PackageData -> PackageData -> PackageData
-setConstraint new old = old { preferredVersions = preferredVersions new }
+builder :: Applicative m => Builder m HackageDB
+builder = Builder
+  { insertPreferredVersions = \pn _ buf   -> let new     = PackageData (toStrict buf) mempty
+                                                 f _ old = old { preferredVersions = preferredVersions new }
+                                             in pure . Map.insertWith f pn new
 
-insertVersionData :: (VersionData -> VersionData -> VersionData)
-                   -> PackageName -> Version -> VersionData
-                   -> HackageDB -> HackageDB
-insertVersionData setFile pn v vd = insertWith mergeVersionData pn pd
-  where
-    pd = PackageData BS.empty (Map.singleton v vd)
-    mergeVersionData _ old = old { versions = insertWith setFile v vd (versions old) }
+  , insertCabalFile         = \pn v _ buf -> let f Nothing   = PackageData mempty (Map.singleton v new)
+                                                 f (Just pd) = pd { versions = Map.insertWith g v new (versions pd) }
+                                                 new         = VersionData (toStrict buf) mempty
+                                                 g _ old     = old { cabalFile = cabalFile new }
+                                             in pure . Map.alter (Just . f) pn
 
-setCabalFile :: VersionData -> VersionData -> VersionData
-setCabalFile new old = old { cabalFile = cabalFile new }
+  , insertMetaFile          = \pn v _ buf -> let f Nothing   = PackageData mempty (Map.singleton v new)
+                                                 f (Just pd) = pd { versions = Map.insertWith g v new (versions pd) }
 
-setMetaFile :: VersionData -> VersionData -> VersionData
-setMetaFile new old = old { metaFile = metaFile new }
+                                                 new         = VersionData mempty (toStrict buf)
+                                                 g _ old     = old { metaFile = metaFile new }
+                                             in pure . Map.alter (Just . f) pn
+  }
diff --git a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Utility.hs b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Utility.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Utility.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/Hackage/DB/Utility.hs
@@ -8,15 +8,17 @@
 
 import Distribution.Hackage.DB.Errors
 
-import Control.Exception
 import Codec.Archive.Tar.Entry as Tar
+import Control.Exception
+import Control.Monad.Fail
 import Data.Maybe
 import Data.Time.Clock
 import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
-import Distribution.Text
+import Data.Time.Format
+import Distribution.Parsec
 
-parseText :: Text a => String -> String -> a
-parseText t x = fromMaybe (throw (InvalidRepresentationOfType t x)) (simpleParse x)
+parseText :: Parsec a => String -> String -> a
+parseText t x = fromMaybe (throw (InvalidRepresentationOfType t x)) (simpleParsec x)
 
 -- | Convert the the 'EpochTime' used by the @tar@ library into a standard
 -- 'UTCTime' type.
@@ -29,3 +31,15 @@
 
 toEpochTime :: UTCTime -> EpochTime
 toEpochTime = floor . utcTimeToPOSIXSeconds
+
+-- | Parse an UTC timestamp in extended ISO8601 format a standard 'UTCTime'
+-- type. This function is useful to parse the "snapshot" identifier printed by
+-- @cabal-install@ after a database update into a useable type. Combine with
+-- 'toEpochTime' to obtain an 'EpochTime' that can be passed to the Hackage DB
+-- reading code from this library.
+--
+-- >>> parseIso8601 "2018-12-21T13:17:40Z"
+-- 2018-12-21 13:17:40 UTC
+
+parseIso8601 :: MonadFail m => String -> m UTCTime
+parseIso8601 = parseTimeM False defaultTimeLocale (iso8601DateFormat (Just "%H:%M:%SZ"))
