diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/file_line/ruby.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/file_line/ruby.rb
index 41e053168..e84060303 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/file_line/ruby.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/file_line/ruby.rb
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ def lines
   rescue TypeError => _e
     # Ruby 1.8 doesn't support open_args
     @lines ||= File.readlines(resource[:path])
+  rescue Errno::ENOENT
+    raise unless resource.noop?
+    @lines ||= []
   end
 
   def new_after_regex
diff --git a/spec/acceptance/file_line_spec.rb b/spec/acceptance/file_line_spec.rb
index a322ab111..6971c2eff 100644
--- a/spec/acceptance/file_line_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/acceptance/file_line_spec.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
         ensure  => present,
         content => 'a wild test file has appeared!',
       }
+      file { '#{test_file}.does_not_exist':
+        ensure => absent,
+      }
     MANIFEST
     apply_manifest(pp_test_file)
   end
@@ -97,4 +100,55 @@
       end
     end
   end
+
+  context 'when file does not exist' do
+    context 'with ensure => present' do
+      let(:pp) do
+        <<~MANIFEST
+          file_line { 'test_absent_file':
+            ensure => present,
+            path   => '#{test_file}.does_not_exist',
+            line   => 'this file does not exist',
+          }
+        MANIFEST
+      end
+
+      it 'fails to apply manifest' do
+        apply_manifest(pp, expect_failures: true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with ensure => present and noop => true' do
+      let(:pp) do
+        <<~MANIFEST
+          file_line { 'test_absent_file':
+            ensure => present,
+            path   => '#{test_file}.does_not_exist',
+            line   => 'this file does not exist',
+            noop   => true,
+          }
+        MANIFEST
+      end
+
+      it 'would apply manifest' do
+        apply_manifest(pp, catch_failures: true)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with ensure => present, in noop mode' do
+      let(:pp) do
+        <<~MANIFEST
+          file_line { 'test_absent_file':
+            ensure => present,
+            path   => '#{test_file}.does_not_exist',
+            line   => 'this file does not exist',
+          }
+        MANIFEST
+      end
+
+      it 'would apply manifest' do
+        apply_manifest(pp, catch_failures: true, noop: true)
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end