diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240125-182243.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240125-182243.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6300cad13c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240125-182243.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Add TestGenerateCatalogWithExternalNodes, include empty nodes in node selection
+  during docs generate
+time: 2024-01-25T18:22:43.253228-05:00
+custom:
+  Author: michelleark
+  Issue: "9456"
diff --git a/core/dbt/context/providers.py b/core/dbt/context/providers.py
index febc21a546f..5abf6a5b2b4 100644
--- a/core/dbt/context/providers.py
+++ b/core/dbt/context/providers.py
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
     MetricArgsError,
     MissingConfigError,
     OperationsCannotRefEphemeralNodesError,
-    PackageNotInDepsError,
     ParsingError,
     RefBadContextError,
     RefArgsError,
@@ -638,10 +637,8 @@ def packages_for_node(self) -> Iterable[Project]:
         package_name = self._node.package_name
 
         if package_name != self._config.project_name:
-            if package_name not in dependencies:
-                # I don't think this is actually reachable
-                raise PackageNotInDepsError(package_name, node=self._node)
-            yield dependencies[package_name]
+            if package_name in dependencies:
+                yield dependencies[package_name]
         yield self._config
 
     def _generate_merged(self) -> Mapping[str, Any]:
diff --git a/core/dbt/task/generate.py b/core/dbt/task/generate.py
index 11084d4dcbd..8cfa5133dfd 100644
--- a/core/dbt/task/generate.py
+++ b/core/dbt/task/generate.py
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ def get_node_selector(self) -> ResourceTypeSelector:
             manifest=self.manifest,
             previous_state=self.previous_state,
             resource_types=NodeType.executable(),
+            include_empty_nodes=True,
         )
 
     def get_catalog_results(
diff --git a/tests/functional/docs/test_generate.py b/tests/functional/docs/test_generate.py
index 7af59722808..129746a0a8a 100644
--- a/tests/functional/docs/test_generate.py
+++ b/tests/functional/docs/test_generate.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
+from unittest import mock
 
+from dbt.plugins.manifest import PluginNodes, ModelNodeArgs
 from dbt.tests.util import run_dbt, get_manifest
 
 sample_seed = """sample_num,sample_bool
@@ -95,6 +97,28 @@ def test_catalog_with_sources(self, project):
         assert len(catalog.sources) == 2
 
 
+class TestGenerateCatalogWithExternalNodes(TestBaseGenerate):
+    @mock.patch("dbt.plugins.get_plugin_manager")
+    def test_catalog_with_sources(self, get_plugin_manager, project):
+        project.run_sql("create table {}.external_model (id int)".format(project.test_schema))
+
+        run_dbt(["build"])
+
+        external_nodes = PluginNodes()
+        external_model_node = ModelNodeArgs(
+            name="external_model",
+            package_name="external_package",
+            identifier="external_model",
+            schema=project.test_schema,
+            database="dbt",
+        )
+        external_nodes.add_model(external_model_node)
+        get_plugin_manager.return_value.get_nodes.return_value = external_nodes
+        catalog = run_dbt(["docs", "generate"])
+
+        assert "model.external_package.external_model" in catalog.nodes
+
+
 class TestGenerateSelectSource(TestBaseGenerate):
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
     def seeds(self):