diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 300175b16c..ff7e26a67b 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -320,7 +320,12 @@ $(PACKAGE_STATS_FILE): $(PACKAGES_TO_STAT)
 	@echo Package stats: $@
 	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(hide) rm -f $@
+ifeq ($(PACKAGES_TO_STAT),)
+# Create empty package stats file if target builds no jar(s) or apk(s).
+	$(hide) touch $@
+else
 	$(hide) build/tools/dump-package-stats $^ > $@
+endif
 
 .PHONY: package-stats
 package-stats: $(PACKAGE_STATS_FILE)
@@ -1743,8 +1748,13 @@ $(APPS_ZIP): $(INSTALLED_SYSTEMIMAGE)
 	@echo "Package apps: $@"
 	$(hide) rm -rf $@
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(dir $@)
-	$(hide) zip -qj $@ $(TARGET_OUT_APPS)/*/*.apk $(TARGET_OUT_APPS_PRIVILEGED)/*/*.apk
-
+	$(hide) apps_to_zip=`find $(TARGET_OUT_APPS) $(TARGET_OUT_APPS_PRIVILEGED) -mindepth 2 -maxdepth 3 -name "*.apk"`; \
+	if [ -z "$$apps_to_zip" ]; then \
+		echo "No apps to zip up. Generating empty apps archive." ; \
+		a=$$(mktemp /tmp/XXXXXXX) && touch $$a && zip $@ $$a && zip -d $@ $$a; \
+	else \
+		zip -qj $@ $$apps_to_zip; \
+	fi
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------
 # A zip of emma code coverage meta files. Generated for fully emma