diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b573057..ad093a9 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -911,6 +911,12 @@ class GithubScm extends Scm {
             return Buffer.from(file.data.content, file.data.encoding).toString();
         } catch (err) {
             logger.error('Failed to getFile: ', err);
+
+            if (err.status === 404) {
+                // Returns an empty file if there is no screwdriver.yaml
+                return '';
+            }
+
             throw err;
         }
     }
diff --git a/test/index.test.js b/test/index.test.js
index a4ea65c..b6c85ec 100644
--- a/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/index.test.js
@@ -1053,6 +1053,26 @@ jobs:
                 });
         });
 
+        it('promises to get empty content when file is not found', () => {
+            const err = new Error('githubError');
+
+            err.status = 404;
+
+            githubMock.repos.getContents.rejects(err);
+
+            return scm.getFile(config)
+                .then((data) => {
+                    assert.deepEqual(data, '');
+
+                    assert.calledWith(githubMock.repos.getContents, {
+                        owner: 'screwdriver-cd',
+                        repo: 'models',
+                        path: config.path,
+                        ref: config.ref
+                    });
+                });
+        });
+
         it('returns error when path is not a file', () => {
             const expectedErrorMessage = 'Path (screwdriver.yaml) does not point to file';
 
@@ -1076,7 +1096,7 @@ jobs:
         it('returns an error when github command fails', () => {
             const err = new Error('githubError');
 
-            err.status = 404;
+            err.status = 403;
 
             githubMock.repos.getContents.rejects(err);