diff --git a/Lib/pdb.py b/Lib/pdb.py
index e769ad7d26b182..8aa899f90b7d9a 100755
--- a/Lib/pdb.py
+++ b/Lib/pdb.py
@@ -169,7 +169,11 @@ def code(self):
 
 class ModuleTarget(str):
     def check(self):
-        pass
+        try:
+            self._details
+        except Exception:
+            traceback.print_exc()
+            sys.exit(1)
 
     @functools.cached_property
     def _details(self):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pdb.py b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
index 5fe75175bf72ae..5794e67aafdb1a 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pdb.py
@@ -1729,6 +1729,20 @@ def test_module_without_a_main(self):
         self.assertIn("ImportError: No module named t_main.__main__",
                       stdout.splitlines())
 
+    def test_package_without_a_main(self):
+        pkg_name = 't_pkg'
+        module_name = 't_main'
+        os_helper.rmtree(pkg_name)
+        modpath = pkg_name + '/' + module_name
+        os.makedirs(modpath)
+        with open(modpath + '/__init__.py', 'w') as f:
+            pass
+        self.addCleanup(os_helper.rmtree, pkg_name)
+        stdout, stderr = self._run_pdb(['-m', modpath.replace('/', '.')], "")
+        self.assertIn(
+            "'t_pkg.t_main' is a package and cannot be directly executed",
+            stdout)
+
     def test_blocks_at_first_code_line(self):
         script = """
                 #This is a comment, on line 2
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-06-29-21-17-17.bpo-44461.acqRnV.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-06-29-21-17-17.bpo-44461.acqRnV.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..02e25e928b9cff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2021-06-29-21-17-17.bpo-44461.acqRnV.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix bug with :mod:`pdb`'s handling of import error due to a package which does not have a ``__main__`` module
\ No newline at end of file