diff --git a/plugins/package-managers/gradle-inspector/src/main/kotlin/GradleInspector.kt b/plugins/package-managers/gradle-inspector/src/main/kotlin/GradleInspector.kt
index 5d203a9882c10..2e5a3dbf8817a 100644
--- a/plugins/package-managers/gradle-inspector/src/main/kotlin/GradleInspector.kt
+++ b/plugins/package-managers/gradle-inspector/src/main/kotlin/GradleInspector.kt
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ private val GRADLE_USER_HOME = Os.env["GRADLE_USER_HOME"]?.let { File(it) } ?: O
  */
 const val OPTION_GRADLE_VERSION = "gradleVersion"
 
+/**
+ * The sha1 sum for a zero by size file.
+ */
+private const val ZERO_BYTES_FILE_SHA1 = "da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709"
+
 /**
  * The [Gradle](https://gradle.org/) package manager for Java.
  *
@@ -350,15 +355,15 @@ private fun Collection<OrtDependency>.toPackageRefs(
     }
 
 /**
- * Create a [RemoteArtifact] based on the given [pomUrl], [classifier], [extension] and hash [algorithm]. The hash value
- * is retrieved remotely.
+ * Create a [RemoteArtifact] based on the given [pomUrl], [classifier] and [extension]. The hash value is retrieved
+ * remotely.
  */
-private fun createRemoteArtifact(
+private fun GradleInspector.createRemoteArtifact(
     pomUrl: String?,
     classifier: String? = null,
-    extension: String? = null,
-    algorithm: String = "sha1"
+    extension: String? = null
 ): RemoteArtifact {
+    val algorithm = "sha1"
     val artifactBaseUrl = pomUrl?.removeSuffix(".pom") ?: return RemoteArtifact.EMPTY
 
     val artifactUrl = buildString {
@@ -371,7 +376,14 @@ private fun createRemoteArtifact(
     val checksum = okHttpClient.downloadText("$artifactUrl.$algorithm")
         .getOrElse { return RemoteArtifact.EMPTY }
 
-    return RemoteArtifact(artifactUrl, parseChecksum(checksum, algorithm))
+    // Ignore file with zero byte size, because it cannot be a valid archive.
+    val hash = parseChecksum(checksum, algorithm).takeUnless { it.value == ZERO_BYTES_FILE_SHA1 }
+        ?: run {
+            logger.info("Ignoring zero byte size artifact: $artifactUrl.")
+            return RemoteArtifact.EMPTY
+        }
+
+    return RemoteArtifact(artifactUrl, hash)
 }
 
 /**