diff --git a/base/docs/Docs.jl b/base/docs/Docs.jl
index da315cadf81b1..251a01c20ab4f 100644
--- a/base/docs/Docs.jl
+++ b/base/docs/Docs.jl
@@ -73,7 +73,12 @@ const modules = Module[]
 const META    = gensym(:meta)
 const METAType = IdDict{Any,Any}
 
-meta(m::Module) = isdefined(m, META) ? getfield(m, META)::METAType : METAType()
+function meta(m::Module)
+    if !isdefined(m, META)
+        initmeta(m)
+    end
+    return getfield(m, META)::METAType
+end
 
 function initmeta(m::Module)
     if !isdefined(m, META)
diff --git a/test/docs.jl b/test/docs.jl
index c1c79fd9d53f4..465de47f026ad 100644
--- a/test/docs.jl
+++ b/test/docs.jl
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ end
 @test docstrings_equal(@doc(ModuleMacroDoc), doc"I am a module")
 @test docstrings_equal(@doc(ModuleMacroDoc.@m), doc"I am a macro")
 
+# issue #38819
+
+module NoDocStrings end
+@test meta(NoDocStrings) === getfield(NoDocStrings, Base.Docs.META)
+
 # General tests for docstrings.
 
 const LINE_NUMBER = @__LINE__() + 1