diff --git a/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.preview.html b/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.preview.html
index 3a346a3e85c..4d1df005c95 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.preview.html
+++ b/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.preview.html
@@ -530,15 +530,22 @@ <h1 data-hf-id="hf-bowk" class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
@@ -1067,15 +1074,22 @@ <h1 data-hf-id="hf-bowk" class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
@@ -1604,15 +1618,22 @@ <h1 data-hf-id="hf-bowk" class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.render.html b/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.render.html
index 942b9eb97c7..8985a87db1e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.render.html
+++ b/packages/core/src/compiler/__goldens__/pageBuild.render.html
@@ -557,15 +557,22 @@ <h1 class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
@@ -1095,15 +1102,22 @@ <h1 class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
@@ -1633,15 +1647,22 @@ <h1 class="title intro">Title</h1>
     }
   }) : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved2, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
-        return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
+        return resolved2.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
-      resolved.push(item);
-      return resolved;
+      resolved2.push(item);
+      return resolved2;
     }, []);
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() {
+        return originalTarget;
+      };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.test.ts b/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.test.ts
index 559d11c5e4a..63b1faf7c3d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.test.ts
@@ -631,6 +631,34 @@ globalThis.gsap.to("p", { x: 1 });
     expect(targetCompositions).toEqual(["scene", "scene"]);
   });
 
+  it("preserves missing GSAP selectors without targeting another composition", () => {
+    const { document } = parseHTML(`
+      <div data-composition-id="scene"></div>
+      <div data-composition-id="other"><span data-part="missing"></span></div>
+    `);
+    const targets: Element[][] = [];
+    const fakeWindow = {
+      document,
+      __timelines: {},
+      gsap: {
+        to(target: Element[]) {
+          targets.push(target);
+        },
+      },
+    };
+    const wrapped = wrapScopedCompositionScript(
+      `gsap.to('[data-part="missing"]', { opacity: 1 });`,
+      "scene",
+    );
+
+    new Function("window", "gsap", wrapped)(fakeWindow, fakeWindow.gsap);
+
+    expect(targets).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(Array.isArray(targets[0])).toBe(true);
+    expect(targets[0]).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(String(targets[0])).toBe('[data-part="missing"]');
+  });
+
   it("scopes getElementById when duplicate IDs exist across composition roots", () => {
     const { document } = parseHTML(`
       <div data-composition-id="scene-a"><canvas id="gl-canvas"></canvas></div>
diff --git a/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.ts b/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.ts
index 178b70b4f0b..b3f06e52973 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/compiler/compositionScoping.ts
@@ -579,16 +579,22 @@ export function wrapScopedCompositionScript(
       })
     : window;
   var __hfResolveGsapTarget = function(target) {
-    if (typeof target === "string") return __hfQueryAll(target);
-    if (!Array.isArray(target)) return target;
-    return target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
+    if (typeof target !== "string" && !Array.isArray(target)) return target;
+    var resolved = typeof target === "string" ? __hfQueryAll(target) : target.reduce(function(resolved, item) {
       if (typeof item === "string") {
         return resolved.concat(Array.prototype.slice.call(__hfQueryAll(item)));
       }
       resolved.push(item);
       return resolved;
     }, []);
-
+    if (!resolved.length) {
+      // GSAP warns "GSAP target " + targets + " not found"; a bare empty match list prints an
+      // empty name. Keep the authored selector as the text while still targeting nothing here.
+      var originalTarget = String(target);
+      resolved = [];
+      resolved.toString = function() { return originalTarget; };
+    }
+    return resolved;
   };
   var __hfScopeTimeline = function(timeline) {
     if (!timeline || timeline.__hfScopedCompositionRoot === __hfFindRoot()) return timeline;