diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
index aef60133d0..7a6890bf93 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export const clientPluginTemplate: NuxtTemplate = {
     const imports: string[] = []
     for (const plugin of clientPlugins) {
       const path = relative(ctx.nuxt.options.rootDir, plugin.src)
-      const variable = genSafeVariableName(filename(plugin.src)).replace(PLUGIN_TEMPLATE_RE, '_') + '_' + hash(path)
+      const variable = genSafeVariableName(filename(plugin.src) || path).replace(PLUGIN_TEMPLATE_RE, '_') + '_' + hash(path)
       exports.push(variable)
       imports.push(genImport(plugin.src, variable))
     }
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export const serverPluginTemplate: NuxtTemplate = {
     const imports: string[] = []
     for (const plugin of serverPlugins) {
       const path = relative(ctx.nuxt.options.rootDir, plugin.src)
-      const variable = genSafeVariableName(filename(path)).replace(PLUGIN_TEMPLATE_RE, '_') + '_' + hash(path)
+      const variable = genSafeVariableName(filename(plugin.src) || path).replace(PLUGIN_TEMPLATE_RE, '_') + '_' + hash(path)
       exports.push(variable)
       imports.push(genImport(plugin.src, variable))
     }