diff --git a/pkgs/development/web/nodejs/build-node-package.nix b/pkgs/development/web/nodejs/build-node-package.nix
index 679716d33c7..5ce324e7a60 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/web/nodejs/build-node-package.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/web/nodejs/build-node-package.nix
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ let
         function replaceImpureVersionSpec(versionSpec) {
             var parsedUrl = url.parse(versionSpec);
 
-            if(versionSpec == "latest" || versionSpec == "unstable" ||
+            if(versionSpec == "" || versionSpec == "latest" || versionSpec == "unstable" ||
                 versionSpec.substr(0, 2) == ".." || dependency.substr(0, 2) == "./" || dependency.substr(0, 2) == "~/" || dependency.substr(0, 1) == '/' || /^[^/]+\/[^/]+$/.test(versionSpec))
                 return '*';
             else if(parsedUrl.protocol == "git:" || parsedUrl.protocol == "git+ssh:" || parsedUrl.protocol == "git+http:" || parsedUrl.protocol == "git+https:" ||