diff --git a/project/Build.scala b/project/Build.scala
index 7bf90daa7b3e..f977c5e08ac5 100644
--- a/project/Build.scala
+++ b/project/Build.scala
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ object Build {
   val referenceVersion = "3.0.0-M3"
 
   val baseVersion = "3.0.0-RC1"
-  val baseSbtDottyVersion = "0.5.0"
+  val baseSbtDottyVersion = "0.5.1"
 
   // Versions used by the vscode extension to create a new project
   // This should be the latest published releases.
diff --git a/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/build.sbt b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cacc2d6592b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+scalaVersion := sys.props("plugin.scalaVersion")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/project/plugins.sbt b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/project/plugins.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c17caab2d98c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/project/plugins.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+addSbtPlugin("ch.epfl.lamp" % "sbt-dotty" % sys.props("plugin.version"))
diff --git a/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/src/main/scala/hello/Hello.scala b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/src/main/scala/hello/Hello.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0b5f90467eff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/src/main/scala/hello/Hello.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package hello
+/** Hello, world! */
+object Hello {
+  def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
+    val dotty: Int | String = "dotty"
+    println(s"Hello $dotty!")
+  }
+}
diff --git a/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/test b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3d86bb0f6d7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-dotty/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/scala3doc-empty-test/test
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+> doc
+> test:doc
+
diff --git a/sbt-dotty/src/dotty/tools/sbtplugin/DottyPlugin.scala b/sbt-dotty/src/dotty/tools/sbtplugin/DottyPlugin.scala
index a6dd6a74f3a4..0b536a61575c 100644
--- a/sbt-dotty/src/dotty/tools/sbtplugin/DottyPlugin.scala
+++ b/sbt-dotty/src/dotty/tools/sbtplugin/DottyPlugin.scala
@@ -444,14 +444,16 @@ object DottyPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
 
   private val docSettings = inTask(doc)(Seq(
     tastyFiles := {
-      val _ = compile.value // Ensure that everything is compiled, so TASTy is available.
+      val sources = compile.value // Ensure that everything is compiled, so TASTy is available.
       // sbt is too smart and do not start doc task if there are no *.scala files defined
       file("___fake___.scala") +:
         (classDirectory.value ** "*.tasty").get.map(_.getAbsoluteFile)
     },
     sources := Def.taskDyn[Seq[File]] {
-      if (isDotty.value && useScala3doc.value) Def.task { tastyFiles.value }
-      else Def.task { sources.value }
+      val originalSources = sources.value
+      if (isDotty.value && useScala3doc.value && originalSources.nonEmpty)
+        Def.task { tastyFiles.value }
+      else Def.task { originalSources }
     }.value,
     scalacOptions ++= {
       if (isDotty.value) {