diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/generators/app_base.rb b/railties/lib/rails/generators/app_base.rb
index b85bf874a6..c02b39d203 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/generators/app_base.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/generators/app_base.rb
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ module Rails
       end
 
       def assets_gemfile_entry
-        return [] if options[:skip_sprockets] || options[:api]
+        return [] if options[:skip_sprockets]
 
         gems = []
         gems << GemfileEntry.version('sass-rails', '~> 5.0',
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ module Rails
       end
 
       def javascript_gemfile_entry
-        if options[:skip_javascript] || options[:api]
+        if options[:skip_javascript]
           []
         else
           gems = [coffee_gemfile_entry, javascript_runtime_gemfile_entry]
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/app_generator.rb b/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/app_generator.rb
index d05fb55212..d0e957037a 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/app_generator.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/app_generator.rb
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ module Rails
 
         # Force sprockets to be skipped when generating http only app.
         # Can't modify options hash as it's frozen by default.
-        self.options = options.merge(skip_sprockets: true).freeze if options[:api]
+        self.options = options.merge(skip_sprockets: true, skip_javascript: true).freeze if options[:api]
       end
 
       public_task :set_default_accessors!