diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModuleBuilder.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModuleBuilder.kt
index 1aa993ff394..2bfadc82d57 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModuleBuilder.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModuleBuilder.kt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ internal class GradleNodeModuleBuilder(
     }
 
     fun rebuild(): File? {
-        if (files.isEmpty()) return null
+        if (files.isEmpty() && srcPackageJsonFile == null) return null
 
         val packageJson = fromSrcPackageJson(srcPackageJsonFile)?.apply {
             // Gson set nulls reflectively no matter on default values and non-null types