diff --git a/swh/loader/package/loader.py b/swh/loader/package/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/package/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/package/loader.py
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@
 
         if not tmp_revisions:
             # We could not load any revisions; fail completely
-            status_visit = 'failed'
+            status_visit = 'partial'
             status_load = 'failed'
             return finalize_visit()
 
diff --git a/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/data/https_replicate.npmjs.com/catify b/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/data/https_replicate.npmjs.com/catify
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/data/https_replicate.npmjs.com/catify
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "_id": "catify",
+  "_rev": "1-67058d22a9c3398032ee164ad49cd3db",
+  "name": "catify",
+  "time": {
+    "modified": "2017-08-23T00:06:59.080Z",
+    "created": "2014-04-03T23:11:33.508Z"
+  },
+  "maintainers": [
+    {
+      "email": "shawn@andgoodwork.com",
+      "name": "shawnhilgart"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "Middleware that redirects users at random to a cat gif.",
+  "readme": "catify\n======\n\nMiddleware that redirects users at random to a cat gif.\n\n## Usage\n\n```javascript\n\nvar catify = require('catify');\nvar express = require('express');\nvar app = new express();\n\napp.use(catify(50)); // catify accepts one argument for probability\n\n```\n\n",
+  "versions": {},
+  "dist-tags": {},
+  "readmeFilename": ""
+}
diff --git a/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/test_npm.py b/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/test_npm.py
--- a/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/test_npm.py
+++ b/swh/loader/package/npm/tests/test_npm.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2019-2020  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -589,3 +589,20 @@
     origin_visit = list(loader.storage.origin_visit_get(url))[-1]
     assert origin_visit['status'] == 'full'
     assert origin_visit['type'] == 'npm'
+
+
+def test_npm_no_artifact(swh_config, requests_mock_datadir):
+    """If no artifacts at all is found for origin, the visit fails completely
+
+    """
+    package = 'catify'
+    url = package_url(package)
+    loader = NpmLoader(url)
+    actual_load_status = loader.load()
+    assert actual_load_status == {
+        'status': 'failed',
+    }
+
+    origin_visit = loader.storage.origin_visit_get_latest(url)
+    assert origin_visit['status'] == 'partial'
+    assert origin_visit['type'] == 'npm'