diff --git a/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/snowpark/commands.py b/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/snowpark/commands.py
index fb0c64cc14..009bd7b0d4 100644
--- a/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/snowpark/commands.py
+++ b/src/snowflake/cli/_plugins/snowpark/commands.py
@@ -440,11 +440,14 @@ def build(
                     requirements=download_result.anaconda_packages,
                 )
 
-            cli_console.step(f"Creating {project_paths.dependencies.name}")
-            zip_dir(
-                source=temp_deps_dir.path,
-                dest_zip=project_paths.dependencies,
-            )
+            if any(temp_deps_dir.path.iterdir()):
+                cli_console.step(f"Creating {project_paths.dependencies.name}")
+                zip_dir(
+                    source=temp_deps_dir.path,
+                    dest_zip=project_paths.dependencies,
+                )
+            else:
+                cli_console.step(f"No external dependencies.")
 
     artifacts = set()
     for entity in get_snowpark_entities(pd).values():
diff --git a/tests_integration/test_snowpark.py b/tests_integration/test_snowpark.py
index ff75a43db6..fa1ad17e10 100644
--- a/tests_integration/test_snowpark.py
+++ b/tests_integration/test_snowpark.py
@@ -348,7 +348,9 @@ def test_snowpark_with_separately_created_package(
 
     with project_directory("snowpark_with_import") as p_dir:
 
-        _test_steps.snowpark_build_should_zip_files(additional_files=[Path("app.zip")])
+        _test_steps.snowpark_build_should_zip_files(
+            additional_files=[Path("app.zip")], no_dependencies=True
+        )
 
         _test_steps.snowpark_deploy_should_finish_successfully_and_return(
             [
@@ -464,7 +466,9 @@ def test_snowpark_default_arguments(
 ):
     database = test_database.upper()
     with project_directory("snowpark_with_default_values") as tmp_dir:
-        _test_steps.snowpark_build_should_zip_files(additional_files=[Path("app.zip")])
+        _test_steps.snowpark_build_should_zip_files(
+            additional_files=[Path("app.zip")], no_dependencies=True
+        )
 
         _test_steps.snowpark_deploy_should_finish_successfully_and_return(
             [
@@ -730,7 +734,7 @@ def test_build_skip_version_check(
         )
         assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
         assert "Build done." in result.output
-        assert "Creating dependencies.zip" in result.output
+        assert "Creating dependencies.zip" not in result.output
         assert "Creating: app.zip" in result.output
 
 
diff --git a/tests_integration/testing_utils/snowpark_utils.py b/tests_integration/testing_utils/snowpark_utils.py
index 887383d282..0844900ce5 100644
--- a/tests_integration/testing_utils/snowpark_utils.py
+++ b/tests_integration/testing_utils/snowpark_utils.py
@@ -163,10 +163,15 @@ def object_describe_should_return_entity_description(
         )
         assert result.json is not None
 
-    def snowpark_build_should_zip_files(self, *args, additional_files=None) -> None:
+    def snowpark_build_should_zip_files(
+        self, *args, additional_files=None, no_dependencies=False
+    ) -> None:
         if not additional_files:
             additional_files = []
 
+        if not no_dependencies:
+            additional_files.append(Path("dependencies.zip"))
+
         current_files = set(Path(".").glob("**/*"))
         result = self._setup.runner.invoke_json(
             ["snowpark", "build", "--format", "JSON", *args]
@@ -179,7 +184,6 @@ def snowpark_build_should_zip_files(self, *args, additional_files=None) -> None:
 
         assert_that_current_working_directory_contains_only_following_files(
             *current_files,
-            Path("dependencies.zip"),
             *additional_files,
             Path("requirements.snowflake.txt"),
             excluded_paths=[".packages"],