diff --git a/lib/services/ios-entitlements-service.ts b/lib/services/ios-entitlements-service.ts
index 71d2cde947..29012eb9b1 100644
--- a/lib/services/ios-entitlements-service.ts
+++ b/lib/services/ios-entitlements-service.ts
@@ -56,10 +56,11 @@ export class IOSEntitlementsService {
 			makePatch(appEntitlementsPath);
 		}
 
-		const plistContent = session.build();
-		this.$logger.trace("App.entitlements: Write to: " + this.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData));
-		this.$fs.writeFile(this.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData), plistContent);
-		return;
+		if ((<any>session).patches && (<any>session).patches.length > 0) {
+			const plistContent = session.build();
+			this.$logger.trace("App.entitlements: Write to: " + this.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData));
+			this.$fs.writeFile(this.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData), plistContent);
+		}
 	}
 
 	private getAllInstalledPlugins(projectData: IProjectData): Promise<IPluginData[]> {
diff --git a/lib/services/ios-project-service.ts b/lib/services/ios-project-service.ts
index 365aa08448..b82849f808 100644
--- a/lib/services/ios-project-service.ts
+++ b/lib/services/ios-project-service.ts
@@ -1241,7 +1241,7 @@ We will now place an empty obsolete compatability white screen LauncScreen.xib f
 
 		// Set Entitlements Property to point to default file if not set explicitly by the user.
 		const entitlementsPropertyValue = this.$xCConfigService.readPropertyValue(pluginsXcconfigFilePath, constants.CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS);
-		if (entitlementsPropertyValue === null) {
+		if (entitlementsPropertyValue === null && this.$fs.exists(this.$iOSEntitlementsService.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData))) {
 			temp.track();
 			const tempEntitlementsDir = temp.mkdirSync("entitlements");
 			const tempEntitlementsFilePath = path.join(tempEntitlementsDir, "set-entitlements.xcconfig");
diff --git a/test/ios-entitlements-service.ts b/test/ios-entitlements-service.ts
index 9d9f3fc6bf..18546ec311 100644
--- a/test/ios-entitlements-service.ts
+++ b/test/ios-entitlements-service.ts
@@ -76,11 +76,6 @@ describe("IOSEntitlements Service Tests", () => {
 	});
 
 	describe("Merge", () => {
-		const defaultPlistContent = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
-<plist version="1.0">
-  <dict/>
-</plist>`;
 		const defaultAppResourcesEntitlementsContent = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
 <plist version="1.0">
@@ -123,13 +118,12 @@ describe("IOSEntitlements Service Tests", () => {
 			assert.equal(strip(actual), strip(expected));
 		}
 
-		it("Merge creates a default entitlements file.", async () => {
+		it("Merge does not create a default entitlements file.", async () => {
 			// act
 			await iOSEntitlementsService.merge(projectData);
 
 			// assert
-			const actual = fs.readText(destinationFilePath);
-			assertContent(actual, defaultPlistContent);
+			assert.isFalse(fs.exists(destinationFilePath));
 		});
 
 		it("Merge uses the entitlements from App_Resources folder", async () => {
diff --git a/test/ios-project-service.ts b/test/ios-project-service.ts
index 8e9a09626c..9babc1d5d4 100644
--- a/test/ios-project-service.ts
+++ b/test/ios-project-service.ts
@@ -839,6 +839,16 @@ describe("Merge Project XCConfig files", () => {
 
 	it("Adds the entitlements property if not set by the user", async () => {
 		for (const release in [true, false]) {
+			const realExistsFunction = testInjector.resolve("fs").exists;
+
+			testInjector.resolve("fs").exists = (filePath: string) => {
+				if (iOSEntitlementsService.getPlatformsEntitlementsPath(projectData) === filePath) {
+					return true;
+				}
+
+				return realExistsFunction(filePath);
+			};
+
 			await (<any>iOSProjectService).mergeProjectXcconfigFiles(release, projectData);
 
 			const destinationFilePath = release ? (<any>iOSProjectService).getPluginsReleaseXcconfigFilePath(projectData)