diff --git a/packages/amplify-codegen/src/commands/models.js b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/commands/models.js
index 4767b4197..d7e966209 100644
--- a/packages/amplify-codegen/src/commands/models.js
+++ b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/commands/models.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const glob = require('glob-all');
 const { FeatureFlags, pathManager } = require('@aws-amplify/amplify-cli-core');
 const { generateModels: generateModelsHelper } = require('@aws-amplify/graphql-generator');
 const { validateAmplifyFlutterMinSupportedVersion } = require('../utils/validateAmplifyFlutterMinSupportedVersion');
+const defaultDirectiveDefinitions = require('../utils/defaultDirectiveDefinitions');
 
 const platformToLanguageMap = {
   android: 'java',
@@ -85,9 +86,14 @@ async function generateModels(context, generateOptions = null) {
   const backendPath = await context.amplify.pathManager.getBackendDirPath();
   const apiResourcePath = path.join(backendPath, 'api', apiResource.resourceName);
 
-  const directiveDefinitions = await context.amplify.executeProviderUtils(context, 'awscloudformation', 'getTransformerDirectives', {
-    resourceDir: apiResourcePath,
-  });
+  let directiveDefinitions;
+  try {
+    directiveDefinitions = await context.amplify.executeProviderUtils(context, 'awscloudformation', 'getTransformerDirectives', {
+      resourceDir: apiResourcePath,
+    });
+  } catch {
+    directiveDefinitions = defaultDirectiveDefinitions;
+  }
 
   const schemaContent = loadSchema(apiResourcePath);
   const baseOutputDir = overrideOutputDir || path.join(projectRoot, getModelOutputPath(context));
diff --git a/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/defaultDirectiveDefinitions.js b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/defaultDirectiveDefinitions.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f0254f38f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/defaultDirectiveDefinitions.js
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+const defaultDirectiveDefinitions = `
+directive @aws_subscribe(mutations: [String!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+
+directive @aws_auth(cognito_groups: [String!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+
+directive @aws_api_key on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
+
+directive @aws_iam on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
+
+directive @aws_oidc on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
+
+directive @aws_cognito_user_pools(cognito_groups: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
+
+directive @aws_lambda on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
+
+directive @deprecated(reason: String) on FIELD_DEFINITION | INPUT_FIELD_DEFINITION | ENUM | ENUM_VALUE
+
+directive @model(queries: ModelQueryMap, mutations: ModelMutationMap, subscriptions: ModelSubscriptionMap, timestamps: TimestampConfiguration) on OBJECT
+input ModelMutationMap {
+  create: String
+  update: String
+  delete: String
+}
+input ModelQueryMap {
+  get: String
+  list: String
+}
+input ModelSubscriptionMap {
+  onCreate: [String]
+  onUpdate: [String]
+  onDelete: [String]
+  level: ModelSubscriptionLevel
+}
+enum ModelSubscriptionLevel {
+  off
+  public
+  on
+}
+input TimestampConfiguration {
+  createdAt: String
+  updatedAt: String
+}
+directive @function(name: String!, region: String, accountId: String) repeatable on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @http(method: HttpMethod = GET, url: String!, headers: [HttpHeader] = []) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+enum HttpMethod {
+  GET
+  POST
+  PUT
+  DELETE
+  PATCH
+}
+input HttpHeader {
+  key: String
+  value: String
+}
+directive @predictions(actions: [PredictionsActions!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+enum PredictionsActions {
+  identifyText
+  identifyLabels
+  convertTextToSpeech
+  translateText
+}
+directive @primaryKey(sortKeyFields: [String]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @index(name: String, sortKeyFields: [String], queryField: String) repeatable on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @hasMany(indexName: String, fields: [String!], limit: Int = 100) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @hasOne(fields: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @manyToMany(relationName: String!, limit: Int = 100) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @belongsTo(fields: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @default(value: String!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
+directive @auth(rules: [AuthRule!]!) on OBJECT | FIELD_DEFINITION
+input AuthRule {
+  allow: AuthStrategy!
+  provider: AuthProvider
+  identityClaim: String
+  groupClaim: String
+  ownerField: String
+  groupsField: String
+  groups: [String]
+  operations: [ModelOperation]
+}
+enum AuthStrategy {
+  owner
+  groups
+  private
+  public
+  custom
+}
+enum AuthProvider {
+  apiKey
+  iam
+  oidc
+  userPools
+  function
+}
+enum ModelOperation {
+  create
+  update
+  delete
+  read
+  list
+  get
+  sync
+  listen
+  search
+}
+directive @mapsTo(name: String!) on OBJECT
+directive @searchable(queries: SearchableQueryMap) on OBJECT
+input SearchableQueryMap {
+  search: String
+}
+`;
+
+module.exports = defaultDirectiveDefinitions;
diff --git a/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/index.js b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/index.js
index 3843088b8..184cffd74 100644
--- a/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/index.js
+++ b/packages/amplify-codegen/src/utils/index.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const getSDLSchemaLocation = require('./getSDLSchemaLocation');
 const switchToSDLSchema = require('./switchToSDLSchema');
 const ensureIntrospectionSchema = require('./ensureIntrospectionSchema');
 const { readSchemaFromFile } = require('./readSchemaFromFile');
+const defaultDirectiveDefinitions = require('./defaultDirectiveDefinitions');
 module.exports = {
   getAppSyncAPIDetails,
   getFrontEndHandler,
@@ -33,4 +34,5 @@ module.exports = {
   switchToSDLSchema,
   ensureIntrospectionSchema,
   readSchemaFromFile,
+  defaultDirectiveDefinitions,
 };
diff --git a/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/__snapshots__/models.test.js.snap b/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/__snapshots__/models.test.js.snap
index 1ddf205ef..a754bd06d 100644
--- a/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/__snapshots__/models.test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/__snapshots__/models.test.js.snap
@@ -61,3 +61,12 @@ Array [
   "schema.js",
 ]
 `;
+
+exports[`command-models-generates models in expected output path should use default directive definitions if getTransformerDirectives fails 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "index.d.ts",
+  "index.js",
+  "schema.d.ts",
+  "schema.js",
+]
+`;
diff --git a/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/models.test.js b/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/models.test.js
index d2b7be990..d2a70795a 100644
--- a/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/models.test.js
+++ b/packages/amplify-codegen/tests/commands/models.test.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const {
   validateAmplifyFlutterMinSupportedVersion,
   MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_VERSION_CONSTRAINT,
 } = require('../../src/utils/validateAmplifyFlutterMinSupportedVersion');
+const defaultDirectiveDefinitions = require('../../src/utils/defaultDirectiveDefinitions');
 const mockFs = require('mock-fs');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
@@ -143,6 +144,30 @@ describe('command-models-generates models in expected output path', () => {
     }
   }
 
+  it('should use default directive definitions if getTransformerDirectives fails', async () => {
+    MOCK_CONTEXT.amplify.executeProviderUtils.mockRejectedValue('no amplify project');
+    const frontend = 'javascript';
+    // mock the input and output file structure
+    const schemaFilePath = path.join(MOCK_BACKEND_DIRECTORY, 'api', MOCK_PROJECT_NAME);
+    const outputDirectory = path.join(MOCK_PROJECT_ROOT, OUTPUT_PATHS[frontend]);
+    const mockedFiles = {};
+    const nodeModules = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname, '../../../../node_modules'));
+    mockedFiles[schemaFilePath] = {
+      'schema.graphql': ' type SimpleModel @model { id: ID! status: String } ',
+    };
+    mockedFiles[outputDirectory] = {};
+    mockFs(mockedFiles);
+    MOCK_CONTEXT.amplify.getProjectConfig.mockReturnValue({ frontend: frontend });
+
+    // assert empty folder before generation
+    expect(fs.readdirSync(outputDirectory).length).toEqual(0);
+
+    await generateModels(MOCK_CONTEXT);
+
+    // assert model files are generated in expected output directory
+    expect(fs.readdirSync(outputDirectory)).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
   afterEach(mockFs.restore);
 });
 
@@ -158,117 +183,6 @@ function addMocksToContext() {
       },
     ],
   });
-  MOCK_CONTEXT.amplify.executeProviderUtils.mockReturnValue(directives);
+  MOCK_CONTEXT.amplify.executeProviderUtils.mockReturnValue(defaultDirectiveDefinitions);
   MOCK_CONTEXT.amplify.pathManager.getBackendDirPath.mockReturnValue(MOCK_BACKEND_DIRECTORY);
 }
-
-const directives = `
-directive @aws_subscribe(mutations: [String!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-
-directive @aws_auth(cognito_groups: [String!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-
-directive @aws_api_key on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
-
-directive @aws_iam on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
-
-directive @aws_oidc on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
-
-directive @aws_cognito_user_pools(cognito_groups: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
-
-directive @aws_lambda on FIELD_DEFINITION | OBJECT
-
-directive @deprecated(reason: String) on FIELD_DEFINITION | INPUT_FIELD_DEFINITION | ENUM | ENUM_VALUE
-
-directive @model(queries: ModelQueryMap, mutations: ModelMutationMap, subscriptions: ModelSubscriptionMap, timestamps: TimestampConfiguration) on OBJECT
-input ModelMutationMap {
-  create: String
-  update: String
-  delete: String
-}
-input ModelQueryMap {
-  get: String
-  list: String
-}
-input ModelSubscriptionMap {
-  onCreate: [String]
-  onUpdate: [String]
-  onDelete: [String]
-  level: ModelSubscriptionLevel
-}
-enum ModelSubscriptionLevel {
-  off
-  public
-  on
-}
-input TimestampConfiguration {
-  createdAt: String
-  updatedAt: String
-}
-directive @function(name: String!, region: String, accountId: String) repeatable on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @http(method: HttpMethod = GET, url: String!, headers: [HttpHeader] = []) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-enum HttpMethod {
-  GET
-  POST
-  PUT
-  DELETE
-  PATCH
-}
-input HttpHeader {
-  key: String
-  value: String
-}
-directive @predictions(actions: [PredictionsActions!]!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-enum PredictionsActions {
-  identifyText
-  identifyLabels
-  convertTextToSpeech
-  translateText
-}
-directive @primaryKey(sortKeyFields: [String]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @index(name: String, sortKeyFields: [String], queryField: String) repeatable on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @hasMany(indexName: String, fields: [String!], limit: Int = 100) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @hasOne(fields: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @manyToMany(relationName: String!, limit: Int = 100) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @belongsTo(fields: [String!]) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @default(value: String!) on FIELD_DEFINITION
-directive @auth(rules: [AuthRule!]!) on OBJECT | FIELD_DEFINITION
-input AuthRule {
-  allow: AuthStrategy!
-  provider: AuthProvider
-  identityClaim: String
-  groupClaim: String
-  ownerField: String
-  groupsField: String
-  groups: [String]
-  operations: [ModelOperation]
-}
-enum AuthStrategy {
-  owner
-  groups
-  private
-  public
-  custom
-}
-enum AuthProvider {
-  apiKey
-  iam
-  oidc
-  userPools
-  function
-}
-enum ModelOperation {
-  create
-  update
-  delete
-  read
-  list
-  get
-  sync
-  listen
-  search
-}
-directive @mapsTo(name: String!) on OBJECT
-directive @searchable(queries: SearchableQueryMap) on OBJECT
-input SearchableQueryMap {
-  search: String
-}`;