diff --git a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/ClassPathElement.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/ClassPathElement.java
index 99e32e0984df76..2378ecdfafb701 100644
--- a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/ClassPathElement.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/ClassPathElement.java
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ public void close() {
     };
 
     default List<ClassPathResource> getResources(String name) {
-        return List.of(getResource(name));
+        ClassPathResource resource = getResource(name);
+        return resource == null ? List.of() : List.of(resource);
     }
 }
diff --git a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/PathTreeClassPathElement.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/PathTreeClassPathElement.java
index 6d005f294c424b..61bf42a4cb9a58 100644
--- a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/PathTreeClassPathElement.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/PathTreeClassPathElement.java
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ public List<ClassPathResource> getResources(String name) {
         final String sanitized = sanitize(name);
         final Set<String> resources = this.resources;
         if (resources != null && !resources.contains(sanitized)) {
-            return null;
+            return List.of();
         }
         List<ClassPathResource> ret = new ArrayList<>();
         apply(tree -> {
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public List<ClassPathResource> getResources(String name) {
 
                 }
             });
-            return null;
+            return List.of();
         });
         return ret;
     }