diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/load.go b/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
index 1675cfc4b5..52b04dab59 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/load.go
@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ func (s *snapshot) load(ctx context.Context, scope source.Scope) ([]*metadata, e
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("no metadata for %s: %v", uri, err)
 	}
 	log.Print(ctx, "go/packages.Load", tag.Of("packages", len(pkgs)))
-	if _, ok := scope.(source.FileURI); len(pkgs) == 0 && ok {
+	if len(pkgs) == 0 {
 		if err == nil {
 			err = errNoPackagesFound
 		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	m, prevMissingImports, err := s.updateMetadata(ctx, scope, pkgs, cfg)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cache/session.go b/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
index 24e945be4d..573ebc8e54 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cache/session.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package cache
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
@@ -126,8 +127,9 @@ func (s *session) NewView(ctx context.Context, name string, folder span.URI, opt
 	v.snapshotMu.Lock()
 	defer v.snapshotMu.Unlock() // The code after the snapshot is used isn't expensive.
 	m, err := v.snapshot.load(ctx, source.DirectoryURI(folder))
+	var loadErr error
 	if err != nil && err != errNoPackagesFound {
-		return nil, err
+		loadErr = fmt.Errorf("Error loading packages: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	// Prepare CheckPackageHandles for every package that's been loaded.
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ func (s *session) NewView(ctx context.Context, name string, folder span.URI, opt
 	// we always need to drop the view map
 	s.viewMap = make(map[span.URI]source.View)
 	debug.AddView(debugView{v})
-	return v, nil
+	return v, loadErr
 }
 
 // View returns the view by name.