diff --git a/src/libcmd/installable-attr-path.cc b/src/libcmd/installable-attr-path.cc
index 3ec1c1614..8917e7a01 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/installable-attr-path.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/installable-attr-path.cc
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ DerivedPathsWithInfo InstallableAttrPath::toDerivedPaths()
                 std::set<std::string> outputsToInstall;
                 for (auto & output : packageInfo.queryOutputs(false, true))
                     outputsToInstall.insert(output.first);
+                if (outputsToInstall.empty())
+                    outputsToInstall.insert("out");
                 return OutputsSpec::Names { std::move(outputsToInstall) };
             },
             [&](const ExtendedOutputsSpec::Explicit & e) -> OutputsSpec {
diff --git a/tests/functional/build.sh b/tests/functional/build.sh
index 9fb4357be..a14e6d672 100755
--- a/tests/functional/build.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/build.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ nix build -f multiple-outputs.nix --json e --no-link | jq --exit-status '
     (.outputs | keys == ["a_a", "b"]))
 '
 
+# Tests that we can handle empty 'outputsToInstall' (assuming that default
+# output "out" exists).
+nix build -f multiple-outputs.nix --json nothing-to-install --no-link | jq --exit-status '
+  (.[0] |
+    (.drvPath | match(".*nothing-to-install.drv")) and
+    (.outputs | keys == ["out"]))
+'
+
 # But not when it's overriden.
 nix build -f multiple-outputs.nix --json e^a_a --no-link
 nix build -f multiple-outputs.nix --json e^a_a --no-link | jq --exit-status '
diff --git a/tests/functional/multiple-outputs.nix b/tests/functional/multiple-outputs.nix
index 413d392e4..6ba7c523d 100644
--- a/tests/functional/multiple-outputs.nix
+++ b/tests/functional/multiple-outputs.nix
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ rec {
     buildCommand = "mkdir $a_a $b $c";
   };
 
+  nothing-to-install = mkDerivation {
+    name = "nothing-to-install";
+    meta.outputsToInstall = [ ];
+    buildCommand = "mkdir $out";
+  };
+
   independent = mkDerivation {
     name = "multiple-outputs-independent";
     outputs = [ "first" "second" ];