diff --git a/__tests__/package-resolver.js b/__tests__/package-resolver.js
index 601f491592..b6c50f8cd5 100644
--- a/__tests__/package-resolver.js
+++ b/__tests__/package-resolver.js
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ addTest('https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/releases/download/v0.18.1/yarn-v0.18.1.
 addTest('https://github.com/yarnpkg/e2e-test-repo.git#greenkeeper/cross-env-3.1.4'); // hash with slashes
 addTest('https://github.com/bestander/chrome-app-livereload.git'); // no package.json
 addTest('livereload@https://github.com/bestander/chrome-app-livereload.git'); // no package.json, named
+addTest('bestander/chrome-app-livereload'); // no package.json, github
+addTest('livereload@https://github.com/bestander/chrome-app-livereload/archive/0.0.5.tar.gz'); // no package.json, targz
 addTest('gitlab:leanlabsio/kanban'); // gitlab
 addTest('gist:d59975ac23e26ad4e25b'); // gist url
 addTest('bitbucket:hgarcia/node-bitbucket-api'); // bitbucket url
diff --git a/__tests__/util/guess-name.js b/__tests__/util/guess-name.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9115480a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/__tests__/util/guess-name.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/* @flow */
+
+import guessName from '../../src/util/guess-name';
+
+const examples = [
+  'http://github.com/foo-bar/awesome-name',
+  'http://github.com/foo-bar/awesome-name.git',
+  'http://awesome.com/awesome-name.git',
+  'http://awesome.com/awesome-name.git?foo/bar#fiz/fuz',
+  'https://github.com/hashicorp/awesome-name/archive/v0.5.5.tar.gz',
+  'https://gitlab.com/foo/awesome-name/repository/archive.tar.gz?ref=3.11.0',
+  'https://gitlab.com/foo/awesome-name/repository/archive.tar.bz2?ref=3.11.0',
+  'https://gitlab.com/foo/awesome-name/repository/archive.tar?ref=3.11.0',
+  'https://gitlab.com/foo/awesome-name/repository/archive.zip?ref=3.11.0',
+  'git@gitlab.com:yolo/awesome-name.git',
+  'https://gitlab.com/yolo/awesome-name.git',
+  'https://asesome.com/yolo/awesome-name-0.2.3.tar.gz',
+  '/foo/bar/awesome-name',
+  './foo/bar/awesome-name',
+  '../foo/bar/awesome-name',
+  'file:../foo/bar/awesome-name',
+  'file:../foo/bar/awesome-name.tar.gz',
+  'awesome-name',
+  'awesome-name.tar.gz',
+];
+
+describe('guessName', () => {
+  for (const source of examples) {
+    it(`guess name of ${source}`, () => {
+      expect(guessName(source)).toBe('awesome-name');
+    });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/resolvers/exotics/git-resolver.js b/src/resolvers/exotics/git-resolver.js
index 8eb5ebebb7..4ad0dfeb2b 100644
--- a/src/resolvers/exotics/git-resolver.js
+++ b/src/resolvers/exotics/git-resolver.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type PackageRequest from '../../package-request.js';
 import {hostedGit as hostedGitResolvers} from '../index.js';
 import * as util from '../../util/misc.js';
 import * as versionUtil from '../../util/version.js';
+import guessName from '../../util/guess-name.js';
 import {registries} from '../../registries/index.js';
 import ExoticResolver from './exotic-resolver.js';
 import Git from '../../util/git.js';
@@ -132,16 +133,9 @@ export default class GitResolver extends ExoticResolver {
       }
     }
 
-    let name = '';
-
-    if (parts.path) {
-      const names = parts.path.split('/');
-      name = names[names.length - 1].split('.')[0];
-    }
-
     return {
       // This is just the default, it can be overridden with key of dependencies
-      name,
+      name: guessName(url),
       version: '0.0.0',
       _uid: commit,
       _remote: {
diff --git a/src/resolvers/exotics/hosted-git-resolver.js b/src/resolvers/exotics/hosted-git-resolver.js
index d159e0fe48..59ebf7d1b1 100644
--- a/src/resolvers/exotics/hosted-git-resolver.js
+++ b/src/resolvers/exotics/hosted-git-resolver.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {registries} from '../../registries/index.js';
 import GitResolver from './git-resolver.js';
 import ExoticResolver from './exotic-resolver.js';
 import Git from '../../util/git.js';
+import guessName from '../../util/guess-name.js';
 
 export type ExplodedFragment = {
   user: string,
@@ -183,7 +184,18 @@ export default class HostedGitResolver extends ExoticResolver {
       }
     }
 
-    throw new MessageError(this.reporter.lang('couldntFindManifestIn', url));
+    return {
+      name: guessName(url),
+      version: '0.0.0',
+      _uid: commit,
+      _remote: {
+        hash: commit,
+        resolved: url,
+        type: 'tarball',
+        reference: url,
+        registry: 'npm',
+      },
+    };
   }
 
   async hasHTTPCapability(url: string): Promise<boolean> {
diff --git a/src/resolvers/exotics/tarball-resolver.js b/src/resolvers/exotics/tarball-resolver.js
index 61754bf465..b3eb45adeb 100644
--- a/src/resolvers/exotics/tarball-resolver.js
+++ b/src/resolvers/exotics/tarball-resolver.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import TarballFetcher from '../../fetchers/tarball-fetcher.js';
 import ExoticResolver from './exotic-resolver.js';
 import Git from './git-resolver.js';
 import {removePrefix} from '../../util/misc.js';
+import guessName from '../../util/guess-name.js';
 import * as versionUtil from '../../util/version.js';
 import * as crypto from '../../util/crypto.js';
 import * as fs from '../../util/fs.js';
@@ -77,7 +78,11 @@ export default class TarballResolver extends ExoticResolver {
       );
 
       // fetch file and get it's hash
-      const fetched: FetchedMetadata = await fetcher.fetch();
+      const fetched: FetchedMetadata = await fetcher.fetch({
+        name: guessName(url),
+        version: '0.0.0',
+        _registry: 'npm',
+      });
       pkgJson = fetched.package;
       hash = fetched.hash;
 
diff --git a/src/util/guess-name.js b/src/util/guess-name.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a922718412
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/guess-name.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/* @flow */
+
+import url from 'url';
+
+function cleanup(name: string): string {
+  name = name.replace(/-\d+\.\d+\.\d+/, '');
+  return name.split('.')[0];
+}
+
+function guessNameFallback(source: string): string {
+  // If cannot parse as url, just return cleaned up last part
+  const parts = source.split('/');
+  return cleanup(parts[parts.length - 1]);
+}
+
+export default function guessName(source: string): string {
+  try {
+    const parsed = url.parse(source);
+
+    if (!parsed.pathname) {
+      return guessNameFallback(source);
+    }
+
+    const parts = parsed.pathname.split('/');
+
+    // Priority goes to part that ends with .git
+    for (const part of parts) {
+      if (part.match(/\.git$/)) {
+        return cleanup(part);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Most likely a directory
+    if (parsed.host == null) {
+      return cleanup(parts[parts.length - 1]);
+    }
+
+    // A site like github or gitlab
+    if (parts.length > 2) {
+      return cleanup(parts[2]);
+    }
+
+    // Privately hosted package?
+    if (parts.length > 1) {
+      return cleanup(parts[1]);
+    }
+
+    return guessNameFallback(source);
+  } catch (e) {
+    return guessNameFallback(source);
+  }
+}