diff --git a/python/tvm/driver/build_module.py b/python/tvm/driver/build_module.py
index 52303123c12e..e23765e92d8c 100644
--- a/python/tvm/driver/build_module.py
+++ b/python/tvm/driver/build_module.py
@@ -233,6 +233,9 @@ def build(
     elif isinstance(inputs, PrimFunc):
         input_mod = lower(inputs, name=name)
     elif isinstance(inputs, tvm.IRModule):
+        assert (
+            len(inputs.get_global_vars()) > 0
+        ), "Expected a non-empty IRModule, but the IRModule contained no functions."
         input_mod = lower(inputs)
     elif not isinstance(inputs, (dict, container.Map)):
         raise ValueError(
diff --git a/python/tvm/relax/vm_build.py b/python/tvm/relax/vm_build.py
index ca756d4dc681..243488e5d83f 100644
--- a/python/tvm/relax/vm_build.py
+++ b/python/tvm/relax/vm_build.py
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ def _vmlink(
     if ext_libs is None:
         ext_libs = []
     lib = None
-    if tir_mod is not None:
+    if tir_mod is not None and len(tir_mod.get_global_vars()) > 0:
         lib = tvm.build(
             tir_mod,
             target=target,
@@ -348,10 +348,10 @@ def _extract_attrs(mod: tvm.IRModule):
     )
 
 
-def _filter_tir(mod: tvm.IRModule) -> tvm.IRModule:
-    tir_mod = IRModule({})
-    tir_mod = tir_mod.with_attrs(mod.attrs)
-    for gv in mod.get_global_vars():
-        if isinstance(mod[gv], PrimFunc):
-            tir_mod[gv] = mod[gv]
-    return tir_mod
+def _filter_tir(mod: tvm.IRModule) -> Optional[tvm.IRModule]:
+    tir_mod = {gvar: func for gvar, func in mod.functions.items() if isinstance(func, PrimFunc)}
+
+    if tir_mod:
+        return IRModule(tir_mod, attrs=mod.attrs)
+    else:
+        return None
diff --git a/src/driver/driver_api.cc b/src/driver/driver_api.cc
index 17cd5c49a1bf..4eca8aebd769 100644
--- a/src/driver/driver_api.cc
+++ b/src/driver/driver_api.cc
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ void CheckAndUpdateHostConsistency(Map<Target, IRModule>* targets, Target* host)
 
 runtime::Module TIRToRuntime(const Map<Target, IRModule>& inputs_arg,
                              const Target& target_host_arg) {
+  CHECK(inputs_arg.size()) << "TIRToRuntime expects at least one IRModule as input.";
   std::vector<runtime::Module> device_modules;
   Map<Target, IRModule> inputs = inputs_arg;
   Target target_host = target_host_arg;
diff --git a/tests/python/relax/test_vm_build.py b/tests/python/relax/test_vm_build.py
index 4f28c4a47a69..180535231d98 100644
--- a/tests/python/relax/test_vm_build.py
+++ b/tests/python/relax/test_vm_build.py
@@ -59,6 +59,26 @@ def foo(x: R.Tensor((3, 4), "float32"), y: R.Tensor((3, 4), "float32")):
     tvm.testing.assert_allclose(inp2.numpy(), inp1.numpy(), rtol=1e-7, atol=1e-7)
 
 
+def test_vm_compile_without_target_arg(exec_mode):
+    """Like test_vm_compile_simple, but with a default target"""
+
+    @tvm.script.ir_module
+    class mod:
+        @R.function
+        def foo(x: R.Tensor((3, 4), "float32"), y: R.Tensor((3, 4), "float32")):
+            z = R.call_pure_packed(
+                "test.vm.identity", x, y, sinfo_args=(R.Tensor(ndim=2, dtype="float32"))
+            )
+            return y
+
+    ex = relax.build(mod, exec_mode=exec_mode)
+    inp1 = tvm.nd.array(np.random.rand(3, 4).astype(np.float32))
+    inp2 = tvm.nd.array(np.random.rand(3, 4).astype(np.float32))
+    vm = relax.VirtualMachine(ex, tvm.cpu())
+    vm["foo"](inp1, inp2)
+    tvm.testing.assert_allclose(inp2.numpy(), inp1.numpy(), rtol=1e-7, atol=1e-7)
+
+
 def test_match_check(exec_mode):
     @tvm.script.ir_module
     class TestMatchCheck: