diff --git a/lib/util/runtime.js b/lib/util/runtime.js
index d48d4e77442..48af1c2167e 100644
--- a/lib/util/runtime.js
+++ b/lib/util/runtime.js
@@ -270,9 +270,7 @@ const mergeRuntimeOwned = (a, b) => {
 		return a;
 	} else if (a === undefined) {
 		if (typeof b === "string") {
-			const set = new SortableSet();
-			set.add(b);
-			return set;
+			return b;
 		} else {
 			return new SortableSet(b);
 		}
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/app.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/app.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6d8bc6abb95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/app.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+import("./test.js");
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/home.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/home.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a0525ff48f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/home.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import log from "./log";
+log("Hi");
+
+it("should load", () => {});
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/log.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/log.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1dde663cf13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/log.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default function (msg) {
+	console.log.bind(console, msg);
+}
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.config.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0f3817e9127
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module.exports = {
+	findBundle: function () {
+		return ["./runtime.js", "./app.js", "./home.js"];
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d3cb28b6458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import log from "./log";
+log("Hi");
diff --git a/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/webpack.config.js b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/webpack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2e0423bbc89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/configCases/entry/issue-12562/webpack.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/** @type {import("../../../../").Configuration} */
+module.exports = {
+	entry: {
+		app: "./app.js",
+		home: {
+			import: "./home.js",
+			dependOn: "app"
+		}
+	},
+	output: {
+		pathinfo: "verbose",
+		filename: "[name].js"
+	},
+	optimization: {
+		runtimeChunk: "single"
+	}
+};