diff --git a/src/core/sass.ts b/src/core/sass.ts
index a94305f220d..5adfeef0077 100644
--- a/src/core/sass.ts
+++ b/src/core/sass.ts
@@ -371,7 +371,6 @@ export async function compileWithCache(
       console.warn(
         "This is likely a Quarto bug.\nPlease consider reporting it at https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli,\nalong with the _quarto_internal_scss_error.scss file that can be found in the current working directory.",
       );
-      throw e;
     }
     return input;
   };
diff --git a/src/core/sass/analyzer/parse.ts b/src/core/sass/analyzer/parse.ts
index 84680a5ffba..34183bd7830 100644
--- a/src/core/sass/analyzer/parse.ts
+++ b/src/core/sass/analyzer/parse.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,16 @@ export const makeParserModule = (
       // it also doesn't like some valid ways to do '@import url'
       contents = contents.replaceAll("@import url", "//@import url");
 
+      // https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/11121
+      // It also doesn't like empty rules
+
+      // that long character class rule matches everything in \s except for \n
+      // using the explanation from regex101.com as a reference
+      contents = contents.replaceAll(
+        /^[\t\f\v \u00a0\u1680\u2000-\u200a\u2028\u2029\u202f\u205f\u3000\ufeff]*([^\n{]+)([{])\s*([}])$/mg,
+        "$1$2 /* empty rule */ $3",
+      );
+
       // it also really doesn't like statements that don't end in a semicolon
       // so, in case you are reading this code to understand why the parser is failing,
       // ensure that your SCSS has semicolons at the end of every statement.
diff --git a/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/issue-11121.qmd b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/issue-11121.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..36d8b636065
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/issue-11121.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+format: 
+  html:
+    theme:
+      - cerulean
+      - test.scss
+---
+
+## This will crash
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/test.scss b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/test.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7d6972d01a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/10/22/test.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+/*-- scss:rules --*/
+
+.agenda {
+}
diff --git a/tools/sass-variable-explainer/parse.ts b/tools/sass-variable-explainer/parse.ts
index 554826c8268..34183bd7830 100644
--- a/tools/sass-variable-explainer/parse.ts
+++ b/tools/sass-variable-explainer/parse.ts
@@ -2,22 +2,44 @@
 // that works in Deno and on the web
 
 import { walk } from "./ast-utils.ts";
-
+let counter = 1;
 export const makeParserModule = (
   parse: any,
-  prettierFormat: any
 ) => {
   return {
-    getSassAst: async (contents: string) => {
+    getSassAst: (contents: string) => {
       // scss-parser doesn't support the `...` operator and it breaks their parser oO, so we remove it.
       // our analysis doesn't need to know about it.
       contents = contents.replaceAll("...", "_dot_dot_dot");
       // it also doesn't like some valid ways to do '@import url'
       contents = contents.replaceAll("@import url", "//@import url");
 
-      // the scss-parser also apparently breaks on Quarto's SCSS unless it's
-      // been prettified first :shrug:
-      contents = await prettierFormat(contents, { parser: "scss" });
+      // https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/11121
+      // It also doesn't like empty rules
+
+      // that long character class rule matches everything in \s except for \n
+      // using the explanation from regex101.com as a reference
+      contents = contents.replaceAll(
+        /^[\t\f\v \u00a0\u1680\u2000-\u200a\u2028\u2029\u202f\u205f\u3000\ufeff]*([^\n{]+)([{])\s*([}])$/mg,
+        "$1$2 /* empty rule */ $3",
+      );
+
+      // it also really doesn't like statements that don't end in a semicolon
+      // so, in case you are reading this code to understand why the parser is failing,
+      // ensure that your SCSS has semicolons at the end of every statement.
+      // we try to work around this by adding semicolons at the end of declarations that don't have them
+      contents = contents.replaceAll(
+        /^(?!(?=\/\/)|(?=\s*[@#$]))(.*[^}/\s\n;])([\s\n]*)}(\n|$)/mg,
+        "$1;$2}$3",
+      );
+      // It also doesn't like values that follow a colon directly without a space
+      contents = contents.replaceAll(
+        /(^\s*[A-Za-z0-9-]+):([^ \n])/mg,
+        "$1: $2",
+      );
+
+      // This is relatively painful, because unfortunately the error message of scss-parser
+      // is not helpful.
 
       // Create an AST from a string of SCSS
       // and convert it to a plain JSON object
@@ -25,7 +47,7 @@ export const makeParserModule = (
 
       if (!(ast.type === "stylesheet")) {
         throw new Error("Expected AST to have type 'stylesheet'");
-      };
+      }
       if (!Array.isArray(ast.value)) {
         throw new Error("Expected AST to have an array value");
       }
@@ -53,6 +75,6 @@ export const makeParserModule = (
       });
 
       return ast;
-    }
-  }  
-}
+    },
+  };
+};