diff --git a/lib/galaxy/tools/deps/resolvers/unlinked_tool_shed_packages.py b/lib/galaxy/tools/deps/resolvers/unlinked_tool_shed_packages.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1414b5ac941
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/galaxy/tools/deps/resolvers/unlinked_tool_shed_packages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+"""
+Backup resolvers for when dependencies can not be loaded from the database.
+Mainly suited for testing stage.
+
+Ideally all dependencies will be stored in the database
+    when a tool is added from a Tool Shed.
+That should remain the preferred way of locating dependencies.
+
+In cases where that is not possible
+    for example during testing this resolver can act as a backup.
+This resolver looks not just for manually added dependencies
+    but also ones added from a Tool Shed.
+
+This tool is still under development so the default behaviour could change.
+It has been tested when placed in the same directory as galaxy_packages.py
+
+At the time of writing July 3 2015 this resolver has to be plugged in.
+See bottom for instructions on how to add this resolver.
+
+"""
+
+from os import listdir
+from os.path import join, exists, getmtime
+
+from .galaxy_packages import GalaxyPackageDependencyResolver
+from ..resolvers import INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY
+
+import logging
+log = logging.getLogger( __name__ )
+
+MANUAL = "manual"
+PREFERRED_OWNERS = MANUAL + ",iuc,devteam"
+
+
+class UnlinkedToolShedPackageDependencyResolver(GalaxyPackageDependencyResolver):
+    resolver_type = "unlinked_tool_shed_packages"
+
+    def __init__(self, dependency_manager, **kwds):
+        super(UnlinkedToolShedPackageDependencyResolver, self).__init__(dependency_manager, **kwds)
+        # Provide a list of preferred owners whose dependency to use
+        self.preferred_owners = kwds.get('preferred_owners', PREFERRED_OWNERS).split(",")
+        # Option to ignore owner and just use last modified time
+        self.select_by_owner = str(kwds.get('select_by_owner', "true")).lower() != "false"
+
+    def _find_dep_versioned( self, name, version, type='package', **kwds ):
+        try:
+            possibles = self._find_possible_depenencies(name, version, type)
+            if len(possibles) == 0:
+                log.debug("Unable to find dependency,'%s' '%s' '%s'", name, version, type)
+                return INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY
+            elif len(possibles) == 1:
+                # Only one candidate found so ignore any preference rules
+                return possibles[0].dependency
+            else:
+                # Pick the preferred one
+                return self._select_preferred_dependency(possibles).dependency
+        except:
+            log.exception("Unexpected error hunting for dependency '%s' '%s''%s'", name, version, type)
+            return INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY
+
+    # Finds all possible dependency to use
+    # Should be extended as required
+    # Returns CandidateDepenency objects with data for preference picking
+    def _find_possible_depenencies(self, name, version, type):
+        possibles = []
+        if exists(self.base_path):
+            path = join( self.base_path, name, version )
+            if exists(path):
+                # First try the way without owner/name/revision
+                package = self._galaxy_package_dep(path, version)
+                if package != INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY:
+                    log.debug("Found dependency '%s' '%s' '%s' at '%s'", name, version, type, path)
+                    possibles.append(CandidateDepenency(package, path))
+                # now try with an owner/name/revision
+                for owner in listdir(path):
+                    owner_path = join(path, owner)
+                    for package_name in listdir(owner_path):
+                        if package_name.startswith("package_" + name):
+                            package_path = join(owner_path, package_name)
+                            for revision in listdir(package_path):
+                                revision_path = join(package_path, revision)
+                                package = self._galaxy_package_dep(revision_path, version)
+                                if package != INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY:
+                                    log.debug("Found dependency '%s' '%s' '%s' at '%s'", name, version, type, revision_path)
+                                    possibles.append(CandidateDepenency(package, package_path, owner))
+        return possibles
+
+    def _select_preferred_dependency(self, possibles, by_owner=None):
+        if by_owner is None:
+            by_owner = self.select_by_owner
+        preferred = []
+        if by_owner:
+            for owner in self.preferred_owners:
+                for candidate in possibles:
+                    if candidate.owner == owner:
+                        preferred.append(candidate)
+                    if len(preferred) == 1:
+                        log.debug("Picked dependency based on owner '%s'", owner)
+                        return preferred[0]
+                    elif len(preferred) > 1:
+                        log.debug("Multiple dependency found with owner '%s'", owner)
+                        break
+        if len(preferred) == 0:
+            preferred = possibles
+        latest_modified = 0
+        for candidate in preferred:
+            modified = getmtime(candidate.path)
+            if latest_modified < modified:
+                latest_candidate = candidate
+                latest_modified = modified
+        log.debug("Picking dependency at '%s' as it was the last modified", latest_candidate.path)
+        return latest_candidate
+
+    """
+    #Currently no need has been found for expand the verionsless method
+    #This is an example of how it could be done
+    def _find_dep_default( self, name, type='package', **kwds ):
+        try:
+            possibles = TODO
+            if len(possibles) == 0:
+                log.debug("Unable to find dependency,'%s' default '%s'", name, type)
+                return INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY
+            elif len(possibles) == 1:
+                #Only one candidate found so ignore any preference rules
+                return possibles[0].dependency
+            else:
+                #Pick the preferred one
+                return self._select_preferred_dependency(possibles, by_owner=False).dependency
+        except:
+            log.exception("Unexpected error hunting for dependency '%s' default '%s'", name, type)
+            return INDETERMINATE_DEPENDENCY
+    """
+
+
+class CandidateDepenency():
+
+    def __init__(self, dependency, path, owner=MANUAL):
+        self.dependency = dependency
+        self.path = path
+        self.owner = owner
+
+__all__ = ['UnlinkedToolShedPackageDependencyResolver']
+
+"""
+At the time of writing July 3 2015 this resolver has to be plugged in.
+
+Adding resolver instructions:
+
+1. create a dependency_resolvers_config.xml file
+<dependency_resolvers>
+  <tool_shed_packages />
+  <galaxy_packages />
+  <galaxy_packages versionless="true" />
+  <unlinked_tool_shed_packages />
+</dependency_resolvers>
+
+
+1a. ALWAYS add <tool_shed_packages /> first!!!!
+
+1b. <galaxy_packages /> is optional as
+    this resolver will also find dependency found by that resolver
+1bi Current default is to use a dependency to find that way first!
+1bii So an alternative version of dependency_resolvers_config.xml
+<dependency_resolvers>
+  <tool_shed_packages />
+  <unlinked_tool_shed_packages />
+  <unlinked_tool_shed_packages versionless="true" />
+</dependency_resolvers>
+
+1c. See __init__ for optional config values
+1ci versionless currently is handled by the super class
+    GalaxyPackageDependencyResolver
+
+2. Add a parameter to config.ini
+dependency_resolvers_config_file = ./config/dependency_resolvers_config.xml
+
+2a. File name/path can be different
+2b. config key must be dependency_resolvers_config_file
+
+3. For planemo it may be required to specify:
+--dependency_resolvers_config_file (xml file described in 1 above)
+--tool_dependency_dir (root of dependencies typically galaxy/dependency_dir)
+See planemo test --help for more information
+"""