diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
index 6791519d6808a0..3a5cbc0c8e566c 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/preview.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import fs from 'node:fs'
 import path from 'node:path'
 import type * as http from 'node:http'
 import sirv from 'sirv'
@@ -84,13 +83,6 @@ export async function preview(
     'production',
   )
 
-  const distDir = path.resolve(config.root, config.build.outDir)
-  if (!fs.existsSync(distDir)) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `"${config.build.outDir}" does not exist. Did you build your project?`,
-    )
-  }
-
   const app = connect() as Connect.Server
   const httpServer = await resolveHttpServer(
     config.preview,
@@ -123,6 +115,7 @@ export async function preview(
     config.base === './' || config.base === '' ? '/' : config.base
 
   // static assets
+  const distDir = path.resolve(config.root, config.build.outDir)
   const headers = config.preview.headers
   const assetServer = sirv(distDir, {
     etag: true,