diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/sbt/ExtractDependencies.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/sbt/ExtractDependencies.scala
index fdced5f83953..62955dcb72a7 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/sbt/ExtractDependencies.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/sbt/ExtractDependencies.scala
@@ -313,6 +313,8 @@ private class ExtractDependenciesCollector extends tpd.TreeTraverser { thisTreeT
 
   private def ignoreDependency(sym: Symbol)(implicit ctx: Context) =
     !sym.exists ||
+    sym.unforcedIsAbsent || // ignore dependencies that have a symbol but do not exist.
+                            // e.g. java.lang.Object companion object
     sym.is(PackageClass) ||
     sym.isEffectiveRoot ||
     sym.isAnonymousFunction ||
diff --git a/tests/pos/i4318.scala b/tests/pos/i4318.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ebb777c5e1ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i4318.scala
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import java.lang.Object