diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/packages.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/packages.ts
index 67b83eddfda8e9..5af667d2417cc9 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/packages.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/packages.ts
@@ -176,21 +176,27 @@ export function loadPackageData(pkgPath: string): PackageData {
   if (typeof sideEffects === 'boolean') {
     hasSideEffects = () => sideEffects
   } else if (Array.isArray(sideEffects)) {
-    const finalPackageSideEffects = sideEffects.map((sideEffect) => {
-      /*
-       * The array accepts simple glob patterns to the relevant files... Patterns like *.css, which do not include a /, will be treated like **\/*.css.
-       * https://webpack.js.org/guides/tree-shaking/
-       * https://github.com/vitejs/vite/pull/11807
-       */
-      if (sideEffect.includes('/')) {
-        return sideEffect
-      }
-      return `**/${sideEffect}`
-    })
+    if (sideEffects.length <= 0) {
+      // createFilter always returns true if `includes` is an empty array
+      // but here we want it to always return false
+      hasSideEffects = () => false
+    } else {
+      const finalPackageSideEffects = sideEffects.map((sideEffect) => {
+        /*
+         * The array accepts simple glob patterns to the relevant files... Patterns like *.css, which do not include a /, will be treated like **\/*.css.
+         * https://webpack.js.org/guides/tree-shaking/
+         * https://github.com/vitejs/vite/pull/11807
+         */
+        if (sideEffect.includes('/')) {
+          return sideEffect
+        }
+        return `**/${sideEffect}`
+      })
 
-    hasSideEffects = createFilter(finalPackageSideEffects, null, {
-      resolve: pkgDir,
-    })
+      hasSideEffects = createFilter(finalPackageSideEffects, null, {
+        resolve: pkgDir,
+      })
+    }
   } else {
     hasSideEffects = () => null
   }