diff --git a/guix/ui.scm b/guix/ui.scm
index 259dddd481..48b5c745c6 100644
--- a/guix/ui.scm
+++ b/guix/ui.scm
@@ -261,6 +261,14 @@ (define* (show-what-to-build store drv
 derivations listed in DRV.  Return #t if there's something to build, #f
 otherwise.  When USE-SUBSTITUTES?, check and report what is prerequisites are
 available for download."
+  (define (built-or-substitutable? drv)
+    (let ((out (derivation->output-path drv)))
+      ;; If DRV has zero outputs, OUT is #f.
+      (or (not out)
+          (or (valid-path? store out)
+              (and use-substitutes?
+                   (has-substitutes? store out))))))
+
   (let*-values (((build download)
                  (fold2 (lambda (drv build download)
                           (let-values (((b d)
@@ -275,14 +283,7 @@ (define* (show-what-to-build store drv
                 ((build)                          ; add the DRV themselves
                  (delete-duplicates
                   (append (map derivation-file-name
-                               (remove (lambda (drv)
-                                         (let ((out (derivation->output-path
-                                                     drv)))
-                                           (or (valid-path? store out)
-                                               (and use-substitutes?
-                                                    (has-substitutes? store
-                                                                      out)))))
-                                       drv))
+                               (remove built-or-substitutable? drv))
                           (map derivation-input-path build))))
                 ((download)                   ; add the references of DOWNLOAD
                  (if use-substitutes?
diff --git a/tests/ui.scm b/tests/ui.scm
index 886223ef54..4bf7a779c5 100644
--- a/tests/ui.scm
+++ b/tests/ui.scm
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 (define-module (test-ui)
   #:use-module (guix ui)
+  #:use-module (guix store)
+  #:use-module (guix derivations)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-19)
   #:use-module (srfi srfi-64))
@@ -189,6 +191,16 @@ (define %paragraph
     (lambda args
       #t)))
 
+(test-equal "show-what-to-build, zero outputs"
+  ""
+  (with-store store
+    (let ((drv (derivation store "zero" "/bin/sh" '()
+                           #:outputs '())))
+      (with-error-to-string
+       (lambda ()
+         ;; This should print nothing.
+         (show-what-to-build store (list drv)))))))
+
 (test-end "ui")