diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 42e41b1..8280797 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -123,9 +123,15 @@ const pickManifest = (packument, wanted, opts) => {
   const defaultVer = distTags[defaultTag]
   if (defaultVer &&
       (range === '*' || semver.satisfies(defaultVer, range, { loose: true })) &&
+      !restricted[defaultVer] &&
       !shouldAvoid(defaultVer, avoid)) {
     const mani = versions[defaultVer]
-    if (mani && isBefore(verTimes, defaultVer, time)) {
+    const ok = mani &&
+      isBefore(verTimes, defaultVer, time) &&
+      engineOk(mani, npmVersion, nodeVersion) &&
+      !mani.deprecated &&
+      !staged[defaultVer]
+    if (ok) {
       return mani
     }
   }
@@ -155,10 +161,10 @@ const pickManifest = (packument, wanted, opts) => {
       const [verb, manib] = b
       const notavoida = !shouldAvoid(vera, avoid)
       const notavoidb = !shouldAvoid(verb, avoid)
-      const notrestra = !restricted[a]
-      const notrestrb = !restricted[b]
-      const notstagea = !staged[a]
-      const notstageb = !staged[b]
+      const notrestra = !restricted[vera]
+      const notrestrb = !restricted[verb]
+      const notstagea = !staged[vera]
+      const notstageb = !staged[verb]
       const notdepra = !mania.deprecated
       const notdeprb = !manib.deprecated
       const enginea = engineOk(mania, npmVersion, nodeVersion)
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 366bcca..6666f5b 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ test('ETARGET if range does not match anything', t => {
 
 test('E403 if version is forbidden', t => {
   const metadata = {
+    'dist-tags': {
+      latest: '2.1.0' // do not default the latest if restricted
+    },
     policyRestrictions: {
       versions: {
         '2.1.0': { version: '2.1.0' },
@@ -141,6 +144,9 @@ test('E403 if version is forbidden', t => {
       '2.0.5': { version: '2.0.5' },
     },
   }
+  t.equal(pickManifest(metadata, '2').version, '2.0.5')
+  t.equal(pickManifest(metadata, '').version, '2.0.5')
+  t.equal(pickManifest(metadata, '1 || 2').version, '2.0.5')
   t.throws(() => {
     pickManifest(metadata, '2.1.0')
   }, { code: 'E403' }, 'got correct error on match failure')
@@ -423,6 +429,9 @@ test('accepts opts.before option to do date-based cutoffs', t => {
 
 test('prefers versions that satisfy the engines requirement', t => {
   const pack = {
+    'dist-tags': {
+      latest: '1.5.0' // do not default latest if engine mismatch
+    },
     versions: {
       '1.0.0': { version: '1.0.0', engines: { node: '>=4' } },
       '1.1.0': { version: '1.1.0', engines: { node: '>=6' } },
@@ -430,7 +439,9 @@ test('prefers versions that satisfy the engines requirement', t => {
       '1.3.0': { version: '1.3.0', engines: { node: '>=10' } },
       '1.4.0': { version: '1.4.0', engines: { node: '>=12' } },
       '1.5.0': { version: '1.5.0', engines: { node: '>=14' } },
-    },
+      // not tagged as latest, won't be chosen by default
+      '1.5.1': { version: '1.5.0', engines: { node: '>=14' } }
+    }
   }
 
   t.equal(pickManifest(pack, '1.x', { nodeVersion: '14.0.0' }).version, '1.5.0')