diff --git a/racket/collects/compiler/private/cm-minimal.rkt b/racket/collects/compiler/private/cm-minimal.rkt
index a8d16cc05f..50751f3cdc 100644
--- a/racket/collects/compiler/private/cm-minimal.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/compiler/private/cm-minimal.rkt
@@ -523,9 +523,10 @@
         (with-handlers ([exn:fail:filesystem? (lambda (exn) "")])
           (call-with-input-file* dep-path (lambda (p)
                                             (define deps (read p))
-                                            (and (equal? (version) (car deps))
-                                                 (equal? (system-type 'vm) (cadr deps))
-                                                 (cdaddr deps))))))))))
+                                            (or (and (equal? (version) (car deps))
+                                                     (equal? (system-type 'vm) (cadr deps))
+                                                     (cdaddr deps))
+                                                "")))))))))
 
 (define (get-compiled-sha1 path->mode roots path)
   (define-values (dir name) (get-compilation-dir+name path #:modes (list (path->mode path)) #:roots roots))