diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/base_parser.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/base_parser.py
index 58190f2f..014f9b23 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/base_parser.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/base_parser.py
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import List
 
-from codemodder.dependency import Requirement
 from codemodder.logging import logger
 from .package_store import FileType, PackageStore
 
 
 class BaseParser(ABC):
+    parent_directory: Path
+
     def __init__(self, parent_directory: Path):
         self.parent_directory = parent_directory
 
@@ -16,14 +17,6 @@ def __init__(self, parent_directory: Path):
     def file_type(self) -> FileType:
         pass
 
-    def _parse_dependencies(self, dependencies: List[str]):
-        return [
-            Requirement(line)
-            for x in dependencies
-            # Skip empty lines and comments
-            if (line := x.strip()) and not line.startswith("#")
-        ]
-
     @abstractmethod
     def _parse_file(self, file: Path) -> PackageStore | None:
         pass
diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/package_store.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/package_store.py
index 42048ab9..e28090f8 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/package_store.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/package_store.py
@@ -12,9 +12,24 @@ class FileType(Enum):
     SETUP_CFG = "setup.cfg"
 
 
-@dataclass
+@dataclass(init=False)
 class PackageStore:
     type: FileType
     file: Path
     dependencies: set[Requirement]
     py_versions: list[str]
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        type: FileType,  # pylint: disable=redefined-builtin
+        file: Path,
+        dependencies: set[str | Requirement],
+        py_versions: list[str],
+    ):
+        self.type = type
+        self.file = file
+        self.dependencies = {
+            dep if isinstance(dep, Requirement) else Requirement(dep)
+            for dep in dependencies
+        }
+        self.py_versions = py_versions
diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/pyproject_toml_file_parser.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/pyproject_toml_file_parser.py
index b3e66124..b0d59b78 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/pyproject_toml_file_parser.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/pyproject_toml_file_parser.py
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ def _parse_file(self, file: Path) -> PackageStore | None:
         return PackageStore(
             type=self.file_type,
             file=file,
-            dependencies=set(dependencies) if dependencies else set(),
+            dependencies=set(dependencies),
             py_versions=[version] if version else [],
         )
diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/requirements_txt_file_parser.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/requirements_txt_file_parser.py
index 2ae9d67e..be30ae11 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/requirements_txt_file_parser.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/requirements_txt_file_parser.py
@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ def _parse_file(self, file: Path) -> PackageStore | None:
             logger.debug("Unknown encoding for file: %s", file)
             return None
 
+        dependencies = set(line.strip() for line in lines if not line.startswith("#"))
+
         return PackageStore(
             type=self.file_type,
             file=file,
-            dependencies=set(self._parse_dependencies(lines)),
+            dependencies=dependencies,
             # requirements.txt files do not declare py versions explicitly
             # though we could create a heuristic by analyzing each dependency
             # and extracting py versions from them.
diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_cfg_file_parser.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_cfg_file_parser.py
index 9a600acc..5fe84e75 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_cfg_file_parser.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_cfg_file_parser.py
@@ -26,6 +26,6 @@ def _parse_file(self, file: Path) -> PackageStore | None:
         return PackageStore(
             type=self.file_type,
             file=file,
-            dependencies=set(self._parse_dependencies(dependency_lines)),
+            dependencies=set(line for line in dependency_lines if line),
             py_versions=[python_requires] if python_requires else [],
         )
diff --git a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_py_file_parser.py b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_py_file_parser.py
index 3a9d8b83..057a7a7d 100644
--- a/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_py_file_parser.py
+++ b/src/codemodder/project_analysis/file_parsers/setup_py_file_parser.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def _parse_file(self, file: Path) -> PackageStore | None:
         return PackageStore(
             type=self.file_type,
             file=file,
-            dependencies=set(self._parse_dependencies(visitor.install_requires)),
+            dependencies=set(visitor.install_requires),
             py_versions=visitor.python_requires,
         )