diff --git a/packages/cli/commands/execute.ts b/packages/cli/commands/execute.ts
index 3861030f80..51a24bea2c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/commands/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/commands/execute.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-console */
 import { promises as fs } from 'fs';
 import { Command, flags } from '@oclif/command';
-import { BinaryDataManager, IBinaryDataConfig, UserSettings } from 'n8n-core';
+import {
+	BinaryDataManager,
+	IBinaryDataConfig,
+	UserSettings,
+	PLACEHOLDER_EMPTY_WORKFLOW_ID,
+} from 'n8n-core';
 import { INode, LoggerProxy } from 'n8n-workflow';
 
 import {
@@ -96,8 +101,8 @@ export class Execute extends Command {
 				console.info(`The file "${flags.file}" does not contain valid workflow data.`);
 				return;
 			}
-			// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion
-			workflowId = workflowData.id!.toString();
+
+			workflowId = workflowData.id ? workflowData.id.toString() : PLACEHOLDER_EMPTY_WORKFLOW_ID;
 		}
 
 		// Wait till the database is ready
diff --git a/packages/core/src/Constants.ts b/packages/core/src/Constants.ts
index 4e72f53f9c..43103df5ac 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/Constants.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/Constants.ts
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ export const USER_FOLDER_ENV_OVERWRITE = 'N8N_USER_FOLDER';
 export const USER_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = 'config';
 export const USER_SETTINGS_SUBFOLDER = '.n8n';
 export const PLACEHOLDER_EMPTY_EXECUTION_ID = '__UNKOWN__';
+export const PLACEHOLDER_EMPTY_WORKFLOW_ID = '__EMPTY__';
 export const TUNNEL_SUBDOMAIN_ENV = 'N8N_TUNNEL_SUBDOMAIN';
 export const WAIT_TIME_UNLIMITED = '3000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z';