diff --git a/pkg/state/state.go b/pkg/state/state.go
index c0fbe44..7a226d0 100644
--- a/pkg/state/state.go
+++ b/pkg/state/state.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ var ReadStateFile = func(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
 	f, err := os.Open(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		// return empty json contents if state.json does not exist
-		return []byte(`{}`), nil
+		return []byte(`{"resources":{}}`), nil
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ func Keys(resources []Resource) []string {
 
 func Open(path string, resourcers []Resourcer) (*State, error) {
 	s := State{
+		Self:     Self{Resources: map[ID]Resource{}},
 		path:     path,
 		packages: map[ID]Resource{},
 		mu:       sync.RWMutex{},
diff --git a/pkg/state/state_test.go b/pkg/state/state_test.go
index d1a88e3..8f4899a 100644
--- a/pkg/state/state_test.go
+++ b/pkg/state/state_test.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestOpen(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		"Empty": {
 			filename: "empty.json",
-			state:    &State{path: "empty.json"},
+			state:    &State{Self: Self{Resources: map[string]Resource{}}, path: "empty.json"},
 		},
 		"Open": {
 			filename: "state.json",