diff --git a/rewrite-yaml/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/yaml/CreateYamlFile.java b/rewrite-yaml/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/yaml/CreateYamlFile.java
index 6bbbef3d4a9..4ef52c58ddd 100644
--- a/rewrite-yaml/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/yaml/CreateYamlFile.java
+++ b/rewrite-yaml/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/yaml/CreateYamlFile.java
@@ -126,12 +126,11 @@ public Yaml visitDocuments(Yaml.Documents documents, ExecutionContext ctx) {
     }
 
     @Language("yml")
-    @Nullable
     private String getYamlContents(ExecutionContext ctx) {
         @Language("yml") String yamlContents = fileContents;
         if (yamlContents == null && fileContentsUrl != null) {
             yamlContents = Remote.builder(Paths.get(relativeFileName), URI.create(fileContentsUrl)).build().printAll(ctx);
         }
-        return yamlContents;
+        return yamlContents == null ? "" : yamlContents;
     }
 }