diff --git a/cmd/dep/status.go b/cmd/dep/status.go
index d78e8224d8..cb793d835d 100644
--- a/cmd/dep/status.go
+++ b/cmd/dep/status.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+const availableTemplateVariables = "ProjectRoot, Constraint, Version, Revision, Latest, and PackageCount."
+
 const statusShortHelp = `Report the status of the project's dependencies`
 const statusLongHelp = `
 With no arguments, print the status of each dependency of the project.
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ print an extended status output for each dependency of the project.
 
 You may use the -f flag to create a custom format for the output of the
 dep status command. The available fields you can utilize are as follows:
-ProjectRoot, Constraint, Version, Revision, Latest, and PackageCount.
+` + availableTemplateVariables + `
 
 Status returns exit code zero if all dependencies are in a "good state".
 `
@@ -59,8 +61,8 @@ dep status -f='{{if eq .Constraint "master"}}{{.ProjectRoot}} {{end}}'
 
 	Display the list of package names constrained on the master branch.
 	The -f flag allows you to use Go templates along with it's various 
-	constructs for formating the output data. See -help for available 
-	variables for this flag.
+	constructs for formating the output data. Available flags are as follows:
+	` + availableTemplateVariables + `
 
 dep status -json
 
@@ -243,10 +245,7 @@ func (out *templateOutput) BasicHeader() error { return nil }
 func (out *templateOutput) BasicFooter() error { return nil }
 
 func (out *templateOutput) BasicLine(bs *BasicStatus) error {
-	data := struct {
-		ProjectRoot, Constraint, Version, Revision, Latest string
-		PackageCount                                       int
-	}{
+	data := rawStatus{
 		ProjectRoot:  bs.ProjectRoot,
 		Constraint:   bs.getConsolidatedConstraint(),
 		Version:      bs.getConsolidatedVersion(),
diff --git a/cmd/dep/status_test.go b/cmd/dep/status_test.go
index 03a2a9bf21..a8d5129ae9 100644
--- a/cmd/dep/status_test.go
+++ b/cmd/dep/status_test.go
@@ -43,23 +43,28 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 	project := dep.Project{}
 	aSemverConstraint, _ := gps.NewSemverConstraint("1.2.3")
 
+	templateString := "PR:{{.ProjectRoot}}, Const:{{.Constraint}}, Ver:{{.Version}}, Rev:{{.Revision}}, Lat:{{.Latest}}, PkgCt:{{.PackageCount}}"
+	equalityTestTemplate := `{{if eq .Constraint "1.2.3"}}Constraint is 1.2.3{{end}}|{{if eq .Version "flooboo"}}Version is flooboo{{end}}|{{if eq .Latest "unknown"}}Latest is unknown{{end}}`
+
 	tests := []struct {
-		name               string
-		status             BasicStatus
-		wantDotStatus      []string
-		wantJSONStatus     []string
-		wantTableStatus    []string
-		wantTemplateStatus []string
+		name                 string
+		status               BasicStatus
+		wantDotStatus        []string
+		wantJSONStatus       []string
+		wantTableStatus      []string
+		wantTemplateStatus   []string
+		wantEqTemplateStatus []string
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "BasicStatus with ProjectRoot only",
 			status: BasicStatus{
 				ProjectRoot: "github.com/foo/bar",
 			},
-			wantDotStatus:      []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar"];`},
-			wantJSONStatus:     []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":""`},
-			wantTableStatus:    []string{`github.com/foo/bar                                         0`},
-			wantTemplateStatus: []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:, Rev:, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantDotStatus:        []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar"];`},
+			wantJSONStatus:       []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":""`},
+			wantTableStatus:      []string{`github.com/foo/bar                                         0`},
+			wantTemplateStatus:   []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:, Rev:, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantEqTemplateStatus: []string{`||`},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "BasicStatus with Revision",
@@ -67,10 +72,11 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 				ProjectRoot: "github.com/foo/bar",
 				Revision:    gps.Revision("flooboofoobooo"),
 			},
-			wantDotStatus:      []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\nflooboo"];`},
-			wantJSONStatus:     []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":"flooboofoobooo"`, `"Constraint":""`},
-			wantTableStatus:    []string{`github.com/foo/bar                       flooboo           0`},
-			wantTemplateStatus: []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:flooboo, Rev:flooboofoobooo, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantDotStatus:        []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\nflooboo"];`},
+			wantJSONStatus:       []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":"flooboofoobooo"`, `"Constraint":""`},
+			wantTableStatus:      []string{`github.com/foo/bar                       flooboo           0`},
+			wantTemplateStatus:   []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:flooboo, Rev:flooboofoobooo, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantEqTemplateStatus: []string{`|Version is flooboo|`},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "BasicStatus with Version and Revision",
@@ -79,10 +85,11 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 				Version:     gps.NewVersion("1.0.0"),
 				Revision:    gps.Revision("flooboofoobooo"),
 			},
-			wantDotStatus:      []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\n1.0.0"];`},
-			wantJSONStatus:     []string{`"Version":"1.0.0"`, `"Revision":"flooboofoobooo"`, `"Constraint":""`},
-			wantTableStatus:    []string{`github.com/foo/bar              1.0.0    flooboo           0`},
-			wantTemplateStatus: []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:1.0.0, Rev:flooboofoobooo, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantDotStatus:        []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\n1.0.0"];`},
+			wantJSONStatus:       []string{`"Version":"1.0.0"`, `"Revision":"flooboofoobooo"`, `"Constraint":""`},
+			wantTableStatus:      []string{`github.com/foo/bar              1.0.0    flooboo           0`},
+			wantTemplateStatus:   []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:1.0.0, Rev:flooboofoobooo, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantEqTemplateStatus: []string{`||`},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "BasicStatus with Constraint, Version and Revision",
@@ -92,10 +99,11 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 				Version:     gps.NewVersion("1.0.0"),
 				Revision:    gps.Revision("revxyz"),
 			},
-			wantDotStatus:      []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\n1.0.0"];`},
-			wantJSONStatus:     []string{`"Revision":"revxyz"`, `"Constraint":"1.2.3"`, `"Version":"1.0.0"`},
-			wantTableStatus:    []string{`github.com/foo/bar  1.2.3       1.0.0    revxyz            0`},
-			wantTemplateStatus: []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:1.2.3, Ver:1.0.0, Rev:revxyz, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantDotStatus:        []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar\n1.0.0"];`},
+			wantJSONStatus:       []string{`"Revision":"revxyz"`, `"Constraint":"1.2.3"`, `"Version":"1.0.0"`},
+			wantTableStatus:      []string{`github.com/foo/bar  1.2.3       1.0.0    revxyz            0`},
+			wantTemplateStatus:   []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:1.2.3, Ver:1.0.0, Rev:revxyz, Lat:, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantEqTemplateStatus: []string{`Constraint is 1.2.3||`},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "BasicStatus with update error",
@@ -103,10 +111,11 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 				ProjectRoot: "github.com/foo/bar",
 				hasError:    true,
 			},
-			wantDotStatus:      []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar"];`},
-			wantJSONStatus:     []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":""`, `"Latest":"unknown"`},
-			wantTableStatus:    []string{`github.com/foo/bar                                 unknown  0`},
-			wantTemplateStatus: []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:, Rev:, Lat:unknown, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantDotStatus:        []string{`[label="github.com/foo/bar"];`},
+			wantJSONStatus:       []string{`"Version":""`, `"Revision":""`, `"Latest":"unknown"`},
+			wantTableStatus:      []string{`github.com/foo/bar                                 unknown  0`},
+			wantTemplateStatus:   []string{`PR:github.com/foo/bar, Const:, Ver:, Rev:, Lat:unknown, PkgCt:0`},
+			wantEqTemplateStatus: []string{`||Latest is unknown`},
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -159,7 +168,7 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			buf.Reset()
-			template, _ := template.New("status").Parse("PR:{{.ProjectRoot}}, Const:{{.Constraint}}, Ver:{{.Version}}, Rev:{{.Revision}}, Lat:{{.Latest}}, PkgCt:{{.PackageCount}}")
+			template, _ := template.New("status").Parse(templateString)
 			templateout := &templateOutput{w: &buf, tmpl: template}
 			templateout.BasicHeader()
 			templateout.BasicLine(&test.status)
@@ -170,6 +179,20 @@ func TestBasicLine(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Errorf("Did not find expected template status: \n\t(GOT) %v \n\t(WNT) %v", buf.String(), wantStatus)
 				}
 			}
+
+			// The following test is to ensure that certain fields usable with string operations such as .eq
+			buf.Reset()
+			template, _ = template.New("status").Parse(equalityTestTemplate)
+			templateout = &templateOutput{w: &buf, tmpl: template}
+			templateout.BasicHeader()
+			templateout.BasicLine(&test.status)
+			templateout.BasicFooter()
+
+			for _, wantStatus := range test.wantEqTemplateStatus {
+				if ok := strings.Contains(buf.String(), wantStatus); !ok {
+					t.Errorf("Did not find expected template status: \n\t(GOT) %v \n\t(WNT) %v", buf.String(), wantStatus)
+				}
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }