diff --git a/scripts/projects.py b/scripts/projects.py
index d27bd221..fda75181 100644
--- a/scripts/projects.py
+++ b/scripts/projects.py
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ def read_value(path, section, key):
     try:
         file = open(path)
     except:
+        debug(path, "not found")
+        # TODO: handle this special case cleaner somewhere up the stack
+        if section == 'build' and key == 'libname':
+            return 'none'
         return None
     r = []
     if not len(section):