diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index 5fb8a0cd..6eb70995 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from common import (
     target_listing_line,
     suggest_names,
     require_platform,
-    apply_target_overrides,
+    load_target_config,
     archive_entry,
     profiles_for_systems,
     write_text_atomic,
@@ -2111,7 +2111,7 @@ def generate_target_manifests(targets_dir: str, output_dir: str) -> None:
             if not isinstance(target_info, dict):
                 raise ValueError(f"{yml_file}: target {target_name!r} must be a mapping")
             cores = target_info.get("cores")
-            if cores is None or cores == []:
+            if cores is None:
                 result[target_name] = None
                 continue
             if (
@@ -2123,12 +2123,13 @@ def generate_target_manifests(targets_dir: str, output_dir: str) -> None:
                     f"{yml_file}: target {target_name!r} cores must be unique "
                     "non-empty strings"
                 )
-            # The same add/remove lists the pack builder applies: a list
-            # published without them makes the installer skip files of a
-            # core the pack for that target ships.
-            result[target_name] = sorted(
-                apply_target_overrides(set(cores), platform_overrides, target_name)
+            # The builder's own reading, overrides included: a list published
+            # another way makes the installer serve what the pack does not.
+            # An empty list is a board with no core, not one with every core.
+            resolved = load_target_config(
+                yml_file.stem, target_name, str(targets_path.parent)
             )
+            result[target_name] = None if resolved is None else sorted(resolved)
 
         for target_name, names in alias_map.items():
             if target_name not in result:
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index aff64db1..e8db4ca7 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -3161,3 +3161,32 @@ class ASameNamedMemberIsNotTheFile(unittest.TestCase):
                     self.assertTrue(xr._data_hit(fname, None, held, names))
                     self.assertFalse(xr._data_hit(fname, None, other, names))
                     self.assertTrue(xr._data_hit(fname, None, {"name": fname}, names))
+
+
+class AnEmptyTargetIsNotEveryCore(unittest.TestCase):
+    """A board scraped with `cores: []` and `add_cores: [gpsp]`: the pack
+    served gpsp's files only, the published list said null (every core)."""
+
+    def test_the_published_list_is_the_builder_reading(self):
+        from scripts.common import load_target_config
+        from scripts.generate_pack import generate_target_manifests
+
+        tmp = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=TMP_ROOT))
+        self.addCleanup(lambda: __import__("shutil").rmtree(tmp, True))
+        targets = tmp / "platforms" / "targets"
+        targets.mkdir(parents=True)
+        (targets / "demo.yml").write_text(
+            "platform: demo\ntargets:\n"
+            "  board:\n    architecture: aarch64\n    cores: []\n"
+            "  full:\n    architecture: x86_64\n    cores: null\n"
+        )
+        (targets / "_overrides.yml").write_text(
+            "demo:\n  targets:\n    board:\n      add_cores: [gpsp]\n"
+        )
+        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()):
+            generate_target_manifests(str(targets), str(tmp / "out"))
+        published = json.loads((tmp / "out" / "demo.json").read_text())
+        builder = load_target_config("demo", "board", str(tmp / "platforms"))
+        self.assertEqual(published["board"], sorted(builder))
+        self.assertEqual(published["board"], ["gpsp"])
+        self.assertIsNone(published["full"])