diff --git a/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
index e196d9b41..f38d81e4c 100644
--- a/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
+++ b/arduino-core/src/cc/arduino/contributions/packages/ContributionsIndexer.java
@@ -81,17 +81,20 @@ public class ContributionsIndexer {
   }
 
   public void parseIndex() throws Exception {
-    File defaultIndexFile = getIndexFile(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
+    // Read bundled index...
     File bundledIndexFile = new File(builtInHardwareFolder, Constants.BUNDLED_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
-
-    // Check main index signature
-    if (!PreferencesData.getBoolean("allow_insecure_packages") && !signatureVerifier.isSigned(defaultIndexFile)) {
-      throw new SignatureVerificationFailedException(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
-    }
-
-    // Read bundled index and overlay the default index
     index = parseIndex(bundledIndexFile);
-    mergeContributions(parseIndex(defaultIndexFile), defaultIndexFile);
+
+    // ...and overlay the default index if present
+    File defaultIndexFile = getIndexFile(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
+    if (defaultIndexFile.exists()) {
+      // Check main index signature
+      if (!PreferencesData.getBoolean("allow_insecure_packages") && !signatureVerifier.isSigned(defaultIndexFile)) {
+        throw new SignatureVerificationFailedException(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
+      }
+
+      mergeContributions(parseIndex(defaultIndexFile), defaultIndexFile);
+    }
 
     // Set main and bundled indexes as trusted
     index.getPackages().forEach(pack -> pack.setTrusted(true));
diff --git a/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java b/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
index 1cef43cbf..b160605c5 100644
--- a/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
+++ b/arduino-core/src/processing/app/BaseNoGui.java
@@ -610,30 +610,12 @@ public class BaseNoGui {
   static public void initPackages() throws Exception {
     indexer = new ContributionsIndexer(getSettingsFolder(), getHardwareFolder(), getPlatform(),
         new GPGDetachedSignatureVerifier());
-    File indexFile = indexer.getIndexFile("package_index.json");
-    File defaultPackageJsonFile = new File(getContentFile("dist"), "package_index.json");
-    if (!indexFile.isFile() || (defaultPackageJsonFile.isFile() && defaultPackageJsonFile.lastModified() > indexFile.lastModified())) {
-      FileUtils.copyFile(defaultPackageJsonFile, indexFile);
-    } else if (!indexFile.isFile()) {
-      // Otherwise create an empty packages index
-      FileOutputStream out = null;
-      try {
-        out = new FileOutputStream(indexFile);
-        out.write("{ \"packages\" : [ ] }".getBytes());
-      } finally {
-        IOUtils.closeQuietly(out);
-      }
-    }
-
-    File indexSignatureFile = indexer.getIndexFile("package_index.json.sig");
-    File defaultPackageJsonSignatureFile = new File(getContentFile("dist"), "package_index.json.sig");
-    if (!indexSignatureFile.isFile() || (defaultPackageJsonSignatureFile.isFile() && defaultPackageJsonSignatureFile.lastModified() > indexSignatureFile.lastModified())) {
-      FileUtils.copyFile(defaultPackageJsonSignatureFile, indexSignatureFile);
-    }
 
     try {
       indexer.parseIndex();
     } catch (JsonProcessingException | SignatureVerificationFailedException e) {
+      File indexFile = indexer.getIndexFile(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME);
+      File indexSignatureFile = indexer.getIndexFile(Constants.DEFAULT_INDEX_FILE_NAME + ".sig");
       FileUtils.deleteIfExists(indexFile);
       FileUtils.deleteIfExists(indexSignatureFile);
       throw e;