diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Configure.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Configure.hs
index 326ea5e802b..1538457b7f2 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Configure.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Configure.hs
@@ -377,13 +377,13 @@ checkConfigExFlags verbosity installedPkgIndex sourcePkgIndex flags = do
   for_ (safeHead unknownPreferences) $ \h ->
     warn verbosity $
       "Preference refers to an unknown package: "
-        ++ showWithConstraintSource prettyShow h
+        ++ prettyShow h
   where
     unknownConstraints =
       filter (unknown . userConstraintPackageName . constraintInner) $
         configExConstraints flags
     unknownPreferences =
-      filter (unknown . (\(PackageVersionConstraint name _) -> name) . constraintInner) $
+      filter (unknown . (\(PackageVersionConstraint name _) -> name)) $
         configPreferences flags
     unknown pkg =
       null (PackageIndex.lookupPackageName installedPkgIndex pkg)
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ planLocalPackage
           . addPreferences
             -- preferences from the config file or command line
             [ PackageVersionPreference name ver
-            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- map constraintInner $ configPreferences configExFlags
+            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- configPreferences configExFlags
             ]
           . addConstraints
             -- version constraints from the config file or command line
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Install.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
index 7fd751d6014..206a15320fc 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Install.hs
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ planPackages
           . addPreferences
             -- preferences from the config file or command line
             [ PackageVersionPreference name ver
-            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- map constraintInner $ configPreferences configExFlags
+            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- configPreferences configExFlags
             ]
           . addConstraints
             -- version constraints from the config file or command line
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Legacy.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Legacy.hs
index 5a75f9f9931..60166ca9c32 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Legacy.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Legacy.hs
@@ -1430,10 +1430,8 @@ legacySharedConfigFieldDescrs constraintSrc =
               (\v conf -> conf{configExConstraints = v})
           , commaNewLineListFieldParsec
               "preferences"
-              (pretty . constraintInner)
-              ( (\preference -> WithConstraintSource{constraintInner = preference, constraintSource = constraintSrc})
-                  `fmap` parsec
-              )
+              pretty
+              parsec
               configPreferences
               (\v conf -> conf{configPreferences = v})
           , monoidFieldParsec
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Types.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Types.hs
index 066b390239d..847659ddc33 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Types.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig/Types.hs
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ data ProjectConfigShared = ProjectConfigShared
   , projectConfigStoreDir :: Flag FilePath
   , -- solver configuration
     projectConfigConstraints :: [WithConstraintSource UserConstraint]
-  , projectConfigPreferences :: [WithConstraintSource PackageVersionConstraint]
+  , projectConfigPreferences :: [PackageVersionConstraint]
   , projectConfigCabalVersion :: Flag Version -- TODO: [required eventually] unused
   , projectConfigSolver :: Flag PreSolver
   , projectConfigAllowOlder :: Maybe AllowOlder
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ data SolverSettings = SolverSettings
   -- ^ Available Hackage servers.
   , solverSettingLocalNoIndexRepos :: [LocalRepo]
   , solverSettingConstraints :: [WithConstraintSource UserConstraint]
-  , solverSettingPreferences :: [WithConstraintSource PackageVersionConstraint]
+  , solverSettingPreferences :: [PackageVersionConstraint]
   , solverSettingFlagAssignment :: FlagAssignment
   -- ^ For all local packages
   , solverSettingFlagAssignments :: Map PackageName FlagAssignment
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectPlanning.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectPlanning.hs
index 731f3d95c1b..26fc270b5e9 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectPlanning.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/ProjectPlanning.hs
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ planPackages
           . addPreferences
             -- preferences from the config file or command line
             [ PackageVersionPreference name ver
-            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- map constraintInner solverSettingPreferences
+            | PackageVersionConstraint name ver <- solverSettingPreferences
             ]
           . addConstraints
             -- version constraints from the config file or command line
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Sandbox/PackageEnvironment.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Sandbox/PackageEnvironment.hs
index b3bdde5704a..b33da2142f9 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Sandbox/PackageEnvironment.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Sandbox/PackageEnvironment.hs
@@ -194,9 +194,7 @@ pkgEnvFieldDescrs src =
   , commaListFieldParsec
       "preferences"
       pretty
-      ( (\preference -> WithConstraintSource{constraintInner = preference, constraintSource = src})
-          `fmap` parsec
-      )
+      parsec
       (configPreferences . savedConfigureExFlags . pkgEnvSavedConfig)
       ( \v pkgEnv ->
           updateConfigureExFlags
diff --git a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Setup.hs b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Setup.hs
index af214f17eb2..81fa460954c 100644
--- a/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Setup.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/src/Distribution/Client/Setup.hs
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ data ConfigExFlags = ConfigExFlags
   , configAppend :: Flag Bool
   , configBackup :: Flag Bool
   , configExConstraints :: [WithConstraintSource UserConstraint]
-  , configPreferences :: [WithConstraintSource PackageVersionConstraint]
+  , configPreferences :: [PackageVersionConstraint]
   , configSolver :: Flag PreSolver
   , configAllowNewer :: Maybe AllowNewer
   , configAllowOlder :: Maybe AllowOlder
@@ -1008,11 +1008,9 @@ configureExOptions _showOrParseArgs constraint =
           "CONSTRAINT"
           ( parsecToReadE
               (const "dependency expected")
-              ( (\pkg -> [WithConstraintSource{constraintInner = pkg, constraintSource = constraint}])
-                  `fmap` parsec
-              )
+              (fmap (\x -> [x]) parsec)
           )
-          (map $ showWithConstraintSource prettyShow)
+          (map prettyShow)
       )
   , optionSolver configSolver (\v flags -> flags{configSolver = v})
   , option
diff --git a/cabal-install/tests/UnitTests/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig.hs b/cabal-install/tests/UnitTests/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig.hs
index 5da69680ea1..95ed974fbdc 100644
--- a/cabal-install/tests/UnitTests/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig.hs
+++ b/cabal-install/tests/UnitTests/Distribution/Client/ProjectConfig.hs
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ instance Arbitrary ProjectConfigShared where
     projectConfigIndexState <- arbitrary
     projectConfigStoreDir <- arbitraryFlag arbitraryShortToken
     projectConfigConstraints <- arbitraryWithConstraintSources
-    projectConfigPreferences <- shortListOf 2 arbitraryWithConstraintSource
+    projectConfigPreferences <- shortListOf 2 arbitrary
     projectConfigCabalVersion <- arbitrary
     projectConfigSolver <- arbitrary
     projectConfigAllowOlder <- arbitrary