diff --git a/pungi/scripts/gather_modules.py b/pungi/scripts/gather_modules.py
index f3928727..507d9a39 100644
--- a/pungi/scripts/gather_modules.py
+++ b/pungi/scripts/gather_modules.py
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import createrepo_c as cr
 from typing.io import BinaryIO
 
 
+EMPTY_FILE = '.empty'
+
+
 def _is_compressed_file(first_two_bytes: bytes, initial_bytes: bytes):
     return binascii.hexlify(first_two_bytes) == initial_bytes
 
@@ -65,6 +68,9 @@ def collect_modules(modules_paths: List[BinaryIO], target_dir: str):
     module_defaults_path = os.path.join(target_dir, 'module_defaults')
     os.makedirs(modules_path, exist_ok=True)
     os.makedirs(module_defaults_path, exist_ok=True)
+    # Defaults modules can be empty, but pungi detects
+    # empty folder while copying and raises the exception in this case
+    Path(os.path.join(module_defaults_path, EMPTY_FILE)).touch()
 
     for module_file in modules_paths:
         data = module_file.read()
diff --git a/tests/test_gather_modules.py b/tests/test_gather_modules.py
index 0930ef06..7cbef4fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_gather_modules.py
+++ b/tests/test_gather_modules.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import gzip
 import os
 from io import StringIO
 import yaml
-from pungi.scripts.gather_modules import collect_modules
+from pungi.scripts.gather_modules import collect_modules, EMPTY_FILE
 import unittest
 from pyfakefs.fake_filesystem_unittest import TestCase
 
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class TestModulesYamlParser(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(['mariadb-devel-10.3_1-8010020200108182321.cdc1202b',
                           'javapackages-tools-201801-8000020190628172923.b07bea58'],
                          os.listdir(os.path.join(PATH_TO_KOJI, 'modules/x86_64')))
-        self.assertEqual(['ant.yaml'],
+        self.assertEqual([EMPTY_FILE, 'ant.yaml'],
                          os.listdir(os.path.join(PATH_TO_KOJI, 'module_defaults')))
 
         # check that modules were exported