diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelLockFileModule.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelLockFileModule.java
index ecab25ebe61bfa..f152ec74cd9a75 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelLockFileModule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/bzlmod/BazelLockFileModule.java
@@ -68,10 +68,12 @@ public void afterCommand() throws AbruptExitException {
       return;
     }
 
+    BazelLockFileValue oldLockfile = moduleResolutionEvent.getOnDiskLockfileValue();
+
     // All nodes corresponding to module extensions that have been evaluated in the current build
     // are done at this point. Look up entries by unvalidated keys to record results even if
     // validation later fails due to invalid imports.
-    var extensionLockFileInfos =
+    var newExtensionInfos =
         evaluator.getDoneValues().entrySet().stream()
             .filter(entry -> entry.getKey() instanceof SingleExtensionEvalValue.UnvalidatedKey)
             .collect(
@@ -80,22 +82,13 @@ public void afterCommand() throws AbruptExitException {
                     entry ->
                         ((SingleExtensionEvalValue) entry.getValue()).getLockFileInfo().get()));
 
-    BazelLockFileValue oldLockfile = moduleResolutionEvent.getOnDiskLockfileValue();
-    BazelLockFileValue newLockfile;
-    try {
-      // Create an updated version of the lockfile, keeping only the extension results from the old
-      // lockfile that are still up-to-date and adding the newly resolved extension results.
-      newLockfile =
-          moduleResolutionEvent.getResolutionOnlyLockfileValue().toBuilder()
-              .setModuleExtensions(combineModuleExtensions(oldLockfile, extensionLockFileInfos))
-              .build();
-    } catch (ExternalDepsException e) {
-      logger.atSevere().withCause(e).log(
-          "Failed to read and parse the MODULE.bazel.lock file with error: %s."
-              + " Try deleting it and rerun the build.",
-          e.getMessage());
-      return;
-    }
+    // Create an updated version of the lockfile, keeping only the extension results from the old
+    // lockfile that are still up-to-date and adding the newly resolved extension results.
+    BazelLockFileValue newLockfile =
+        moduleResolutionEvent.getResolutionOnlyLockfileValue().toBuilder()
+            .setModuleExtensions(
+                combineModuleExtensions(oldLockfile.getModuleExtensions(), newExtensionInfos))
+            .build();
 
     // Write the new value to the file, but only if needed. This is not just a performance
     // optimization: whenever the lockfile is updated, most Skyframe nodes will be marked as dirty
@@ -114,14 +107,16 @@ public void afterCommand() throws AbruptExitException {
   private ImmutableMap<
           ModuleExtensionId, ImmutableMap<ModuleExtensionEvalFactors, LockFileModuleExtension>>
       combineModuleExtensions(
-          BazelLockFileValue oldLockfile,
-          Map<ModuleExtensionId, LockFileModuleExtension.WithFactors> extensionLockFileInfos)
-          throws ExternalDepsException {
+          ImmutableMap<
+                  ModuleExtensionId,
+                  ImmutableMap<ModuleExtensionEvalFactors, LockFileModuleExtension>>
+              oldExtensionInfos,
+          Map<ModuleExtensionId, LockFileModuleExtension.WithFactors> newExtensionInfos) {
     Map<ModuleExtensionId, ImmutableMap<ModuleExtensionEvalFactors, LockFileModuleExtension>>
         updatedExtensionMap = new HashMap<>();
 
     // Keep old extensions if they are still valid.
-    for (var entry : oldLockfile.getModuleExtensions().entrySet()) {
+    for (var entry : oldExtensionInfos.entrySet()) {
       var moduleExtensionId = entry.getKey();
       var factorToLockedExtension = entry.getValue();
       ModuleExtensionEvalFactors firstEntryFactors =
@@ -134,13 +129,13 @@ public void afterCommand() throws AbruptExitException {
           moduleExtensionId,
           firstEntryFactors,
           firstEntryExtension.getUsagesDigest(),
-          extensionLockFileInfos.get(moduleExtensionId))) {
+          newExtensionInfos.get(moduleExtensionId))) {
         updatedExtensionMap.put(moduleExtensionId, factorToLockedExtension);
       }
     }
 
     // Add the new resolved extensions
-    for (var extensionIdAndInfo : extensionLockFileInfos.entrySet()) {
+    for (var extensionIdAndInfo : newExtensionInfos.entrySet()) {
       LockFileModuleExtension extension = extensionIdAndInfo.getValue().moduleExtension();
       if (!extension.shouldLockExtension()) {
         continue;
@@ -186,17 +181,17 @@ private boolean shouldKeepExtension(
       ModuleExtensionId extensionId,
       ModuleExtensionEvalFactors lockedExtensionKey,
       byte[] oldUsagesDigest,
-      @Nullable LockFileModuleExtension.WithFactors extensionInfo) {
+      @Nullable LockFileModuleExtension.WithFactors newExtensionInfo) {
 
     // If there is a new event for this extension, compare it with the existing ones
-    if (extensionInfo != null) {
-      boolean doNotLockExtension = !extensionInfo.moduleExtension().shouldLockExtension();
+    if (newExtensionInfo != null) {
+      boolean doNotLockExtension = !newExtensionInfo.moduleExtension().shouldLockExtension();
       boolean dependencyOnOsChanged =
           lockedExtensionKey.getOs().isEmpty()
-              != extensionInfo.extensionFactors().getOs().isEmpty();
+              != newExtensionInfo.extensionFactors().getOs().isEmpty();
       boolean dependencyOnArchChanged =
           lockedExtensionKey.getArch().isEmpty()
-              != extensionInfo.extensionFactors().getArch().isEmpty();
+              != newExtensionInfo.extensionFactors().getArch().isEmpty();
       if (doNotLockExtension || dependencyOnOsChanged || dependencyOnArchChanged) {
         return false;
       }