diff --git a/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package.go b/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package.go
index 09fdf07ef..f3258afdf 100644
--- a/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package.go
+++ b/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package model
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/source"
@@ -10,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/pkg"
 )
 
+var errUnknownMetadataType = errors.New("unknown metadata type")
+
 // Package represents a pkg.Package object specialized for JSON marshaling and unmarshalling.
 type Package struct {
 	PackageBasicData
@@ -60,13 +63,22 @@ func (p *Package) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return unpackMetadata(p, unpacker)
+	err := unpackMetadata(p, unpacker)
+	if errors.Is(err, errUnknownMetadataType) {
+		log.Warnf("unknown package metadata type=%q for packageID=%q", p.MetadataType, p.ID)
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return err
 }
 
 // nolint:funlen,gocognit,gocyclo
 func unpackMetadata(p *Package, unpacker packageMetadataUnpacker) error {
 	p.MetadataType = unpacker.MetadataType
 	switch p.MetadataType {
+	case "":
+		// there is no metadata, skip
+		break
 	case pkg.AlpmMetadataType:
 		var payload pkg.AlpmMetadata
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(unpacker.Metadata, &payload); err != nil {
@@ -176,8 +188,7 @@ func unpackMetadata(p *Package, unpacker packageMetadataUnpacker) error {
 		}
 		p.Metadata = payload
 	default:
-		log.Warnf("unknown package metadata type=%q for packageID=%q", p.MetadataType, p.ID)
+		return errUnknownMetadataType
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package_test.go b/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package_test.go
index a31639c25..81d55bc76 100644
--- a/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package_test.go
+++ b/internal/formats/syftjson/model/package_test.go
@@ -1,21 +1,95 @@
 package model
 
 import (
-	"testing"
-
+	"encoding/json"
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/pkg"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"testing"
 )
 
 func TestUnmarshalPackageGolang(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name        string
-		p           *Package
 		packageData []byte
+		assert      func(*Package)
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "Package.UnmarshalJSON unmarshals PackageBasicData",
-			p:    &Package{},
+			name: "unmarshal package metadata",
+			packageData: []byte(`{
+				"id": "8b594519bc23da50",
+				"name": "gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2",
+				"version": "v2.6.0",
+				"type": "go-module",
+				"foundBy": "go-module-binary-cataloger",
+				"locations": [
+				  {
+				    "path": "/Users/hal/go/bin/syft"
+				  }
+				],
+				"licenses": [],
+				"language": "go",
+				"cpes": [],
+				"purl": "pkg:golang/gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2@v2.6.0",
+				"metadataType": "GolangBinMetadata",
+				"metadata": {
+				  "goCompiledVersion": "go1.18",
+				  "architecture": "amd64",
+				  "h1Digest": "h1:NGk74WTnPKBNUhNzQX7PYcTLUjoq7mzKk2OKbvwk2iI="
+				}
+			}`),
+			assert: func(p *Package) {
+				assert.NotNil(t, p.Metadata)
+				golangMetadata := p.Metadata.(pkg.GolangBinMetadata)
+				assert.NotEmpty(t, golangMetadata)
+				assert.Equal(t, "go1.18", golangMetadata.GoCompiledVersion)
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "can handle package without metadata",
+			packageData: []byte(`{
+				"id": "8b594519bc23da50",
+				"name": "gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2",
+				"version": "v2.6.0",
+				"type": "go-module",
+				"foundBy": "go-mod-cataloger",
+				"locations": [
+				  {
+				    "path": "/Users/hal/go/bin/syft"
+				  }
+				],
+				"licenses": [],
+				"language": "go",
+				"cpes": [],
+				"purl": "pkg:golang/gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2@v2.6.0"
+			}`),
+			assert: func(p *Package) {
+				assert.Empty(t, p.MetadataType)
+				assert.Empty(t, p.Metadata)
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			p := &Package{}
+			err := p.UnmarshalJSON(test.packageData)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			test.assert(p)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func Test_unpackMetadata(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		packageData  []byte
+		metadataType pkg.MetadataType
+		wantErr      require.ErrorAssertionFunc
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "unmarshal package metadata",
+			metadataType: pkg.GolangBinMetadataType,
 			packageData: []byte(`{
 				"id": "8b594519bc23da50",
 				"name": "gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2",
@@ -39,19 +113,67 @@ func TestUnmarshalPackageGolang(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			}`),
 		},
+		{
+			name:         "can handle package without metadata",
+			metadataType: "",
+			packageData: []byte(`{
+				"id": "8b594519bc23da50",
+				"name": "gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2",
+				"version": "v2.6.0",
+				"type": "go-module",
+				"foundBy": "go-mod-cataloger",
+				"locations": [
+				  {
+				    "path": "/Users/hal/go/bin/syft"
+				  }
+				],
+				"licenses": [],
+				"language": "go",
+				"cpes": [],
+				"purl": "pkg:golang/gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2@v2.6.0"
+			}`),
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "bad metadata type is an error",
+			metadataType: "BOGOSITY",
+			wantErr:      require.Error,
+			packageData: []byte(`{
+				"id": "8b594519bc23da50",
+				"name": "gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2",
+				"version": "v2.6.0",
+				"type": "go-module",
+				"foundBy": "go-mod-cataloger",
+				"locations": [
+				  {
+				    "path": "/Users/hal/go/bin/syft"
+				  }
+				],
+				"licenses": [],
+				"language": "go",
+				"cpes": [],
+				"purl": "pkg:golang/gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2@v2.6.0",
+				"metadataType": "BOGOSITY"
+			}`),
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			err := test.p.UnmarshalJSON(test.packageData)
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("could not unmarshal packageData: %v", err)
+			if test.wantErr == nil {
+				test.wantErr = require.NoError
 			}
+			p := &Package{}
 
-			assert.NotNil(t, test.p.Metadata)
-			golangMetadata := test.p.Metadata.(pkg.GolangBinMetadata)
-			assert.NotEmpty(t, golangMetadata)
-			assert.Equal(t, "go1.18", golangMetadata.GoCompiledVersion)
+			var basic PackageBasicData
+			require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(test.packageData, &basic))
+			p.PackageBasicData = basic
+
+			var unpacker packageMetadataUnpacker
+			require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(test.packageData, &unpacker))
+
+			err := unpackMetadata(p, unpacker)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.metadataType, p.MetadataType)
+			test.wantErr(t, err)
 		})
 	}
 }