diff --git a/reflect/AssemblyName.cs b/reflect/AssemblyName.cs
index 37bb54fe..1fcfc0a2 100644
--- a/reflect/AssemblyName.cs
+++ b/reflect/AssemblyName.cs
@@ -150,10 +150,25 @@ namespace IKVM.Reflection
 
 		public static AssemblyName GetAssemblyName(string path)
 		{
-			using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.Read))
+			try
 			{
-				ModuleReader module = new ModuleReader(null, null, fs, path);
-				return module.Assembly.GetName();
+				using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(path, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.Read))
+				{
+					ModuleReader module = new ModuleReader(null, null, fs, path);
+					if (module.Assembly == null)
+					{
+						throw new BadImageFormatException("Module does not contain a manifest");
+					}
+					return module.Assembly.GetName();
+				}
+			}
+			catch (IOException x)
+			{
+				throw new FileNotFoundException(x.Message, x);
+			}
+			catch (UnauthorizedAccessException x)
+			{
+				throw new FileNotFoundException(x.Message, x);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/reflect/Reader/ModuleReader.cs b/reflect/Reader/ModuleReader.cs
index a3819e96..3f99c9fd 100644
--- a/reflect/Reader/ModuleReader.cs
+++ b/reflect/Reader/ModuleReader.cs
@@ -103,7 +103,11 @@ namespace IKVM.Reflection.Reader
 			this.stream = stream;
 			this.location = location;
 			Read();
-			this.assembly = assembly ?? new AssemblyReader(location, this);
+			if (assembly == null && AssemblyTable.records.Length != 0)
+			{
+				assembly = new AssemblyReader(location, this);
+			}
+			this.assembly = assembly;
 		}
 
 		private void Read()