diff --git a/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/SqlDelightDatabase.kt b/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/SqlDelightDatabase.kt
index 1510786a38f..913b924c1b4 100644
--- a/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/SqlDelightDatabase.kt
+++ b/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/SqlDelightDatabase.kt
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class SqlDelightDatabase(
   private val generatedSourcesDirectory
     get() = File(project.buildDir, "generated/sqldelight/code/$name")
 
-  private val sources by lazy { sources() }
+  private val sources by lazy { sources(project) }
   private val dependencies = mutableListOf<SqlDelightDatabase>()
 
   private var recursionGuard = false
diff --git a/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/kotlin/SourceRoots.kt b/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/kotlin/SourceRoots.kt
index c56b4fde2be..e22804be2ed 100644
--- a/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/kotlin/SourceRoots.kt
+++ b/sqldelight-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/app/cash/sqldelight/gradle/kotlin/SourceRoots.kt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import com.android.build.gradle.BaseExtension
 import com.android.build.gradle.LibraryExtension
 import com.android.build.gradle.api.BaseVariant
 import org.gradle.api.DomainObjectSet
+import org.gradle.api.Project
 import org.gradle.api.Task
 import org.gradle.api.file.SourceDirectorySet
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Provider
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ import java.io.File
  *
  *    Multiplatform environment with android target (oh boy)
  */
-internal fun SqlDelightDatabase.sources(): List<Source> {
+internal fun SqlDelightDatabase.sources(project: Project): List<Source> {
   // Multiplatform project.
   project.extensions.findByType(KotlinMultiplatformExtension::class.java)?.let {
     return it.sources()
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ internal fun SqlDelightDatabase.sources(): List<Source> {
 
   // Android project.
   project.extensions.findByName("android")?.let {
-    return (it as BaseExtension).sources()
+    return (it as BaseExtension).sources(project)
   }
 
   // Kotlin project.
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ internal fun SqlDelightDatabase.sources(): List<Source> {
       type = KotlinPlatformType.jvm,
       name = "main",
       sourceSets = listOf("main"),
-      sourceDirectorySet = sourceSets.getByName("main").kotlin!!,
+      sourceDirectorySet = sourceSets.getByName("main").kotlin ?: project.objects.sourceDirectorySet("empty", "Empty kotlin source set"),
     ),
   )
 }
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ private fun KotlinMultiplatformExtension.sources(): List<Source> {
   )
 }
 
-private fun BaseExtension.sources(): List<Source> {
+private fun BaseExtension.sources(project: Project): List<Source> {
   val variants: DomainObjectSet<out BaseVariant> = when (this) {
     is AppExtension -> applicationVariants
     is LibraryExtension -> libraryVariants
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ private fun BaseExtension.sources(): List<Source> {
       name = variant.name,
       variantName = variant.name,
       sourceDirectorySet = sourceSets[variant.name]
-        ?: throw IllegalStateException("Couldn't find ${variant.name} in $sourceSets"),
+        ?: project.objects.sourceDirectorySet(variant.name, "Empty kotlin source set"),
       sourceSets = variant.sourceSets.map { it.name },
       registerGeneratedDirectory = { outputDirectoryProvider ->
         variant.addJavaSourceFoldersToModel(outputDirectoryProvider.get())