diff --git a/lib/content/release-please-config.json b/lib/content/release-please-config.json
index 9590b6f3..110f1ee0 100644
--- a/lib/content/release-please-config.json
+++ b/lib/content/release-please-config.json
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
     {"type":"chore","hidden":true}
   ],
   "packages": {
-    "{{#unless pkgRelPath}}.{{/unless}}{{pkgRelPath}}": {}
+    "{{#unless pkgRelPath}}.{{/unless}}{{pkgRelPath}}": {
+      {{#unless pkgRelPath}}"component": ""{{/unless}}
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/release-please-config.json b/release-please-config.json
index 78c2ecdb..9df185be 100644
--- a/release-please-config.json
+++ b/release-please-config.json
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
     }
   ],
   "packages": {
-    ".": {}
+    ".": {
+      "component": ""
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/apply/full-content.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/apply/full-content.js.test.cjs
index 3e5e098a..f0b950b4 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/apply/full-content.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/apply/full-content.js.test.cjs
@@ -599,7 +599,9 @@ release-please-config.json
     }
   ],
   "packages": {
-    ".": {}
+    ".": {
+      "component": ""
+    }
   }
 }
 `
@@ -1399,7 +1401,9 @@ release-please-config.json
     }
   ],
   "packages": {
-    ".": {},
+    ".": {
+      "component": ""
+    },
     "workspaces/a": {},
     "workspaces/b": {}
   }