diff --git a/libsolidity/interface/StandardCompiler.cpp b/libsolidity/interface/StandardCompiler.cpp
index 5408db2ec..6a8417de5 100644
--- a/libsolidity/interface/StandardCompiler.cpp
+++ b/libsolidity/interface/StandardCompiler.cpp
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ Json::Value StandardCompiler::compileInternal(Json::Value const& _input)
 	}
 
 	Json::Value contractsOutput = Json::objectValue;
-	for (string const& contractName: m_compilerStack.contractNames())
+	for (string const& contractName: success ? m_compilerStack.contractNames() : vector<string>())
 	{
 		size_t colon = contractName.find(':');
 		solAssert(colon != string::npos, "");