diff --git a/packages/js/src/utils/swc/inline.ts b/packages/js/src/utils/swc/inline.ts
index 1a55fed166..98e8f2fd47 100644
--- a/packages/js/src/utils/swc/inline.ts
+++ b/packages/js/src/utils/swc/inline.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ export function generateTmpSwcrc(
   tmpSwcrcPath: string
 ) {
   const swcrc = readJsonFile(swcrcPath);
+  swcrc['exclude'] ??= [];
+
+  if (!Array.isArray(swcrc['exclude'])) {
+    swcrc['exclude'] = [swcrc['exclude']];
+  }
 
   swcrc['exclude'] = swcrc['exclude'].concat(
     Object.values(inlineProjectGraph.externals).map(