diff --git a/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
index f38d81e4c..bfb8fad74 100644
--- a/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
+++ b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
@@ -69,13 +69,14 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
   private final File builtInHardwareFolder;
   private final Platform platform;
   private final SignatureVerifier signatureVerifier;
-  private ContributionsIndex index;
+  private final ContributionsIndex index;
 
   public ContributionsIndexer(File preferencesFolder, File builtInHardwareFolder, Platform platform, SignatureVerifier signatureVerifier) {
     this.preferencesFolder = preferencesFolder;
     this.builtInHardwareFolder = builtInHardwareFolder;
     this.platform = platform;
     this.signatureVerifier = signatureVerifier;
+    index = new EmptyContributionIndex();
     packagesFolder = new File(preferencesFolder, "packages");
     stagingFolder = new File(preferencesFolder, "staging" + File.separator + "packages");
   }
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
   public void parseIndex() throws Exception {
     // Read bundled index...
     File bundledIndexFile = new File(builtInHardwareFolder, Constants.BUNDLED_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
-    index = parseIndex(bundledIndexFile);
+    mergeContributions(bundledIndexFile);
 
     // ...and overlay the default index if present
     File defaultIndexFile = getIndexFile(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
         throw new SignatureVerificationFailedException(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
       }
 
-      mergeContributions(parseIndex(defaultIndexFile), defaultIndexFile);
+      mergeContributions(defaultIndexFile);
     }
 
     // Set main and bundled indexes as trusted
@@ -104,8 +105,7 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
 
     for (File indexFile : indexFiles) {
       try {
-	      ContributionsIndex contributionsIndex = parseIndex(indexFile);
-	      mergeContributions(contributionsIndex, indexFile);
+	      mergeContributions(indexFile);
       } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {
         System.err.println(I18n.format(tr("Skipping contributed index file {0}, parsing error occured:"), indexFile));
         System.err.println(e);
@@ -136,7 +136,11 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
     index.fillCategories();
   }
 
-  private void mergeContributions(ContributionsIndex contributionsIndex, File indexFile) {
+  private void mergeContributions(File indexFile) throws IOException {
+    if (!indexFile.exists())
+      return;
+
+    ContributionsIndex contributionsIndex = parseIndex(indexFile);
     boolean signed = signatureVerifier.isSigned(indexFile);
     boolean trustall = PreferencesData.getBoolean(Constants.PREF_CONTRIBUTIONS_TRUST_ALL);
 
diff --git a/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/EmptyContributionIndex.java b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/EmptyContributionIndex.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..200dce3c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/EmptyContributionIndex.java
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of Arduino.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2014 Arduino LLC (http://www.arduino.cc/)
+ *
+ * Arduino is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ * As a special exception, you may use this file as part of a free software
+ * library without restriction.  Specifically, if other files instantiate
+ * templates or use macros or inline functions from this file, or you compile
+ * this file and link it with other files to produce an executable, this
+ * file does not by itself cause the resulting executable to be covered by
+ * the GNU General Public License.  This exception does not however
+ * invalidate any other reasons why the executable file might be covered by
+ * the GNU General Public License.
+ */
+
+package cc.arduino.contributions.packages;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+class EmptyContributionIndex extends ContributionsIndex {
+  List<ContributedPackage> packs = new ArrayList<>();
+
+  @Override
+  public List<ContributedPackage> getPackages() {
+    return packs;
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file