diff --git a/.changeset/dirty-candles-peel.md b/.changeset/dirty-candles-peel.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5ea2f31ae981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/dirty-candles-peel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': patch
+---
+
+[fix] allow missing routes folder
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.js b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.js
index e9cd7205e690..852a02a869f8 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.js
@@ -225,97 +225,115 @@ function create_routes_and_nodes(cwd, config, fallback) {
 		walk(0, '', '', null);
 
 		const root = /** @type {import('types').RouteData} */ (route_map.get(''));
-
-		// TODO remove for 1.0
 		if (route_map.size === 1) {
 			if (!root.leaf && !root.error && !root.layout && !root.endpoint) {
 				throw new Error(
+					// TODO adjust this error message for 1.0
+					// 'No routes found. If you are using a custom src/routes directory, make sure it is specified in svelte.config.js'
 					'The filesystem router API has changed, see https://github.com/sveltejs/kit/discussions/5774 for details'
 				);
 			}
 		}
+	} else {
+		// If there's no routes directory, we'll just create a single empty route. This ensures the root layout and
+		// error components are included in the manifest, which is needed for subsequent build/dev commands to work
+		route_map.set('', {
+			id: '',
+			segment: '',
+			pattern: /^$/,
+			names: [],
+			types: [],
+			parent: null,
+			layout: null,
+			error: null,
+			leaf: null,
+			page: null,
+			endpoint: null
+		});
+	}
 
-		if (!root.layout?.component) {
-			if (!root.layout) root.layout = { depth: 0, child_pages: [] };
-			root.layout.component = posixify(path.relative(cwd, `${fallback}/layout.svelte`));
-		}
+	const root = /** @type {import('types').RouteData} */ (route_map.get(''));
 
-		if (!root.error?.component) {
-			if (!root.error) root.error = { depth: 0 };
-			root.error.component = posixify(path.relative(cwd, `${fallback}/error.svelte`));
-		}
+	if (!root.layout?.component) {
+		if (!root.layout) root.layout = { depth: 0, child_pages: [] };
+		root.layout.component = posixify(path.relative(cwd, `${fallback}/layout.svelte`));
+	}
 
-		// we do layouts/errors first as they are more likely to be reused,
-		// and smaller indexes take fewer bytes. also, this guarantees that
-		// the default error/layout are 0/1
-		route_map.forEach((route) => {
-			if (route.layout) nodes.push(route.layout);
-			if (route.error) nodes.push(route.error);
-		});
+	if (!root.error?.component) {
+		if (!root.error) root.error = { depth: 0 };
+		root.error.component = posixify(path.relative(cwd, `${fallback}/error.svelte`));
+	}
 
-		/** @type {Map<string, string>} */
-		const conflicts = new Map();
+	// we do layouts/errors first as they are more likely to be reused,
+	// and smaller indexes take fewer bytes. also, this guarantees that
+	// the default error/layout are 0/1
+	route_map.forEach((route) => {
+		if (route.layout) nodes.push(route.layout);
+		if (route.error) nodes.push(route.error);
+	});
 
-		route_map.forEach((route) => {
-			if (!route.leaf) return;
+	/** @type {Map<string, string>} */
+	const conflicts = new Map();
 
-			nodes.push(route.leaf);
+	route_map.forEach((route) => {
+		if (!route.leaf) return;
 
-			const normalized = route.id.split('/').filter(affects_path).join('/');
+		nodes.push(route.leaf);
 
-			if (conflicts.has(normalized)) {
-				throw new Error(`${conflicts.get(normalized)} and ${route.id} occupy the same route`);
-			}
+		const normalized = route.id.split('/').filter(affects_path).join('/');
 
-			conflicts.set(normalized, route.id);
-		});
+		if (conflicts.has(normalized)) {
+			throw new Error(`${conflicts.get(normalized)} and ${route.id} occupy the same route`);
+		}
 
-		const indexes = new Map(nodes.map((node, i) => [node, i]));
+		conflicts.set(normalized, route.id);
+	});
 
-		route_map.forEach((route) => {
-			if (!route.leaf) return;
+	const indexes = new Map(nodes.map((node, i) => [node, i]));
 
-			route.page = {
-				layouts: [],
-				errors: [],
-				leaf: /** @type {number} */ (indexes.get(route.leaf))
-			};
+	route_map.forEach((route) => {
+		if (!route.leaf) return;
 
-			/** @type {import('types').RouteData | null} */
-			let current_route = route;
-			let current_node = route.leaf;
-			let parent_id = route.leaf.parent_id;
-
-			while (current_route) {
-				if (parent_id === undefined || current_route.segment === parent_id) {
-					if (current_route.layout || current_route.error) {
-						route.page.layouts.unshift(
-							current_route.layout ? indexes.get(current_route.layout) : undefined
-						);
-						route.page.errors.unshift(
-							current_route.error ? indexes.get(current_route.error) : undefined
-						);
-					}
+		route.page = {
+			layouts: [],
+			errors: [],
+			leaf: /** @type {number} */ (indexes.get(route.leaf))
+		};
 
-					if (current_route.layout) {
-						/** @type {import('types').PageNode[]} */ (current_route.layout.child_pages).push(
-							route.leaf
-						);
-						current_node.parent = current_node = current_route.layout;
-						parent_id = current_node.parent_id;
-					} else {
-						parent_id = undefined;
-					}
+		/** @type {import('types').RouteData | null} */
+		let current_route = route;
+		let current_node = route.leaf;
+		let parent_id = route.leaf.parent_id;
+
+		while (current_route) {
+			if (parent_id === undefined || current_route.segment === parent_id) {
+				if (current_route.layout || current_route.error) {
+					route.page.layouts.unshift(
+						current_route.layout ? indexes.get(current_route.layout) : undefined
+					);
+					route.page.errors.unshift(
+						current_route.error ? indexes.get(current_route.error) : undefined
+					);
 				}
 
-				current_route = current_route.parent;
+				if (current_route.layout) {
+					/** @type {import('types').PageNode[]} */ (current_route.layout.child_pages).push(
+						route.leaf
+					);
+					current_node.parent = current_node = current_route.layout;
+					parent_id = current_node.parent_id;
+				} else {
+					parent_id = undefined;
+				}
 			}
 
-			if (parent_id !== undefined) {
-				throw new Error(`${current_node.component} references missing segment "${parent_id}"`);
-			}
-		});
-	}
+			current_route = current_route.parent;
+		}
+
+		if (parent_id !== undefined) {
+			throw new Error(`${current_node.component} references missing segment "${parent_id}"`);
+		}
+	});
 
 	const routes = Array.from(route_map.values()).sort((a, b) => compare(a, b, segment_map));
 
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
index f1a863077cec..031071a4dfb4 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.spec.js
@@ -173,8 +173,16 @@ test('creates routes with layout', () => {
 
 test('succeeds when routes does not exist', () => {
 	const { nodes, routes } = create('samples/basic/routes');
-	assert.equal(nodes, []);
-	assert.equal(routes, []);
+	assert.equal(nodes.map(simplify_node), [
+		{ component: 'layout.svelte' },
+		{ component: 'error.svelte' }
+	]);
+	assert.equal(routes.map(simplify_route), [
+		{
+			id: '',
+			pattern: '/^$/'
+		}
+	]);
 });
 
 // TODO some characters will need to be URL-encoded in the filename