Patch from Perry Stoll: OK for list of modules to be empty.
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
index d956eef..d75bf3f 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@
         # input and output filenames and checking for missing
         # input files.
 
+        # it's ok not to have *any* py files, right?
+        if not modules:
+            return
+        
         # XXX we should allow for wildcards, so eg. the Distutils setup.py
         # file would just have to say
         #   py_modules = ['distutils.*', 'distutils.command.*']