diff --git a/packages/builder-vite/build.ts b/packages/builder-vite/build.ts
index d0a36401..5929cc22 100644
--- a/packages/builder-vite/build.ts
+++ b/packages/builder-vite/build.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export async function build(options: ExtendedOptions) {
 
   const envsRaw = await presets.apply<Promise<EnvsRaw>>('env');
   // Stringify env variables after getting `envPrefix` from the final config
-  const envs = stringifyProcessEnvs(envsRaw, finalConfig.envPrefix);
+  const envs = stringifyProcessEnvs(envsRaw, finalConfig.envPrefix, 'build');
   // Update `define`
   finalConfig.define = {
     ...finalConfig.define,
diff --git a/packages/builder-vite/envs.ts b/packages/builder-vite/envs.ts
index e5ad6c50..83d592e3 100644
--- a/packages/builder-vite/envs.ts
+++ b/packages/builder-vite/envs.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export const allowedEnvPrefix = ['VITE_', 'STORYBOOK_'];
  * Customized version of stringifyProcessEnvs from @storybook/core-common which
  * uses import.meta.env instead of process.env and checks for allowed variables.
  */
-export function stringifyProcessEnvs(raw: EnvsRaw, envPrefix: UserConfig['envPrefix']) {
+export function stringifyProcessEnvs(raw: EnvsRaw, envPrefix: UserConfig['envPrefix'], command: 'build' | 'serve') {
   const updatedRaw: EnvsRaw = {};
   const envs = Object.entries(raw).reduce(
     (acc: EnvsRaw, [key, value]) => {
@@ -46,5 +46,11 @@ export function stringifyProcessEnvs(raw: EnvsRaw, envPrefix: UserConfig['envPre
   // const { foo } = import.meta.env;
   envs['import.meta.env'] = JSON.stringify(stringifyEnvs(updatedRaw));
 
+  // Prevent build breaking on a missing var, similar to vite
+  // @see https://github.com/vitejs/vite/blob/908c9e4cdd2cceb0f01495e38066ffe33c21ddb8/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/define.ts#L50
+  if (command === 'build') {
+    envs['import.meta.env.'] = '({}).';
+  }
+
   return envs;
 }
diff --git a/packages/builder-vite/vite-server.ts b/packages/builder-vite/vite-server.ts
index 8d098d6e..54c6b4e7 100644
--- a/packages/builder-vite/vite-server.ts
+++ b/packages/builder-vite/vite-server.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export async function createViteServer(options: ExtendedOptions, devServer: Serv
 
   const envsRaw = await presets.apply<Promise<EnvsRaw>>('env');
   // Stringify env variables after getting `envPrefix` from the final config
-  const envs = stringifyProcessEnvs(envsRaw, finalConfig.envPrefix);
+  const envs = stringifyProcessEnvs(envsRaw, finalConfig.envPrefix, 'serve');
   // Update `define`
   finalConfig.define = {
     ...finalConfig.define,