diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
index c3d9052e7fa..0548c9a2550 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
@@ -67,11 +67,11 @@ class WebpackCLI {
     }
 
     // For babel/typescript
-    if (result.default) {
-      result = result.default;
+    if (result && typeof result === "object" && "default" in result) {
+      result = result.default || {};
     }
 
-    return result;
+    return result || {};
   }
 
   loadJSONFile(pathToFile, handleError = true) {
diff --git a/test/build/config/no-code/no-code.test.js b/test/build/config/no-code/no-code.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e9515123b1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/no-code/no-code.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"use strict";
+const { resolve } = require("path");
+const { run } = require("../../../utils/test-utils");
+
+describe("config flag with no code", () => {
+  it("should not throw error with no configuration or index file", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr, stdout } = await run(__dirname, [
+      "-c",
+      resolve(__dirname, "webpack.config.js"),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(stdout).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/build/config/no-code/src/index.js b/test/build/config/no-code/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..164e3e9c24f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/no-code/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+console.log("Peeves");
diff --git a/test/build/config/no-code/webpack.config.js b/test/build/config/no-code/webpack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined-default/src/index.js b/test/build/config/undefined-default/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d4caacb0cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined-default/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+console.log("Tom Riddle");
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined-default/undefined-default.test.js b/test/build/config/undefined-default/undefined-default.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eabeb06be42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined-default/undefined-default.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"use strict";
+const { resolve } = require("path");
+const { run } = require("../../../utils/test-utils");
+
+describe("config flag with undefined default export config file", () => {
+  it("should not throw error with no configuration or index file", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr, stdout } = await run(__dirname, [
+      "-c",
+      resolve(__dirname, "webpack.config.js"),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(stdout).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined-default/webpack.config.js b/test/build/config/undefined-default/webpack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..253def99924
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined-default/webpack.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports.default = undefined;
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined/src/index.js b/test/build/config/undefined/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb334e35b09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+console.log("Percy Weasley");
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined/undefined.test.js b/test/build/config/undefined/undefined.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2845fecb20c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined/undefined.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"use strict";
+const { resolve } = require("path");
+const { run } = require("../../../utils/test-utils");
+
+describe("config flag with undefined export config file", () => {
+  it("should not throw error with no configuration or index file", async () => {
+    const { exitCode, stderr, stdout } = await run(__dirname, [
+      "-c",
+      resolve(__dirname, "webpack.config.js"),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(stderr).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(stdout).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/build/config/undefined/webpack.config.js b/test/build/config/undefined/webpack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d0f5f3a7fc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/config/undefined/webpack.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = undefined;