diff --git a/source/blender/blenloader/BLO_readfile.h b/source/blender/blenloader/BLO_readfile.h
index b046d467baf..e714ef15e5f 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenloader/BLO_readfile.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenloader/BLO_readfile.h
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ void BLO_blendfiledata_free(BlendFileData *bfd);
 typedef struct BLODataBlockInfo {
   char name[64]; /* MAX_NAME */
   struct AssetMetaData *asset_data;
+  /** Ownership over #asset_data above can be "stolen out" of this struct, for more permanent
+   * storage. In that case, set this to false to avoid double freeing of the stolen data. */
   bool free_asset_data;
   /**
    * Optimization: Tag data-blocks for which we know there is no preview.
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/gpencil_legacy/gpencil_weight_paint.c b/source/blender/editors/gpencil_legacy/gpencil_weight_paint.c
index d4a7060fe30..41051888306 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/gpencil_legacy/gpencil_weight_paint.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/gpencil_legacy/gpencil_weight_paint.c
@@ -347,72 +347,19 @@ static bool *gpencil_vgroup_bone_deformed_map_get(Object *ob, const int defbase_
  * for points in vertex groups deformed by bones.
  * The logic is copied from `editors/sculpt_paint/paint_vertex.cc`. */
 
-/**
- * Normalize weights of a stroke point deformed by bones.
- */
-static void do_weight_paint_normalize_all(MDeformVert *dvert,
-                                          const int defbase_tot,
-                                          const bool *vgroup_bone_deformed)
-{
-  float sum = 0.0f, fac;
-  uint tot = 0;
-  MDeformWeight *dw;
-
-  dw = dvert->dw;
-  for (int i = dvert->totweight; i != 0; i--, dw++) {
-    if (dw->def_nr < defbase_tot && vgroup_bone_deformed[dw->def_nr]) {
-      tot++;
-      sum += dw->weight;
-    }
-  }
-
-  if ((tot == 0) || (sum == 1.0f)) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (sum != 0.0f) {
-    fac = 1.0f / sum;
-
-    dw = dvert->dw;
-    for (int i = dvert->totweight; i != 0; i--, dw++) {
-      if (dw->def_nr < defbase_tot && vgroup_bone_deformed[dw->def_nr]) {
-        dw->weight *= fac;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  else {
-    fac = 1.0f / tot;
-
-    dw = dvert->dw;
-    for (int i = dvert->totweight; i != 0; i--, dw++) {
-      if (dw->def_nr < defbase_tot && vgroup_bone_deformed[dw->def_nr]) {
-        dw->weight = fac;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * A version of #do_weight_paint_normalize_all that only changes unlocked weights.
- */
-static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
-                                                   const int defbase_tot,
-                                                   const bool *vgroup_bone_deformed,
-                                                   const bool *vgroup_locked,
-                                                   const bool lock_active_vgroup,
-                                                   const int active_vgroup)
+static bool do_weight_paint_normalize(MDeformVert *dvert,
+                                      const int defbase_tot,
+                                      const bool *vgroup_bone_deformed,
+                                      const bool *vgroup_locked,
+                                      const bool lock_active_vgroup,
+                                      const int active_vgroup)
 {
   float sum = 0.0f, fac;
   float sum_unlock = 0.0f;
   float sum_lock = 0.0f;
-  uint tot = 0;
+  uint lock_tot = 0, unlock_tot = 0;
   MDeformWeight *dw;
 
-  if (vgroup_locked == NULL) {
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all(dvert, defbase_tot, vgroup_bone_deformed);
-    return true;
-  }
-
   if (dvert->totweight <= 1) {
     return true;
   }
@@ -424,10 +371,11 @@ static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
       sum += dw->weight;
 
       if (vgroup_locked[dw->def_nr] || (lock_active_vgroup && active_vgroup == dw->def_nr)) {
+        lock_tot++;
         sum_lock += dw->weight;
       }
       else {
-        tot++;
+        unlock_tot++;
         sum_unlock += dw->weight;
       }
     }
@@ -437,8 +385,10 @@ static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
     return true;
   }
 
-  if (tot == 0) {
-    return false;
+  if (unlock_tot == 0) {
+    /* There are no unlocked vertex groups to normalize. We don't need
+     * a second pass when there is only one locked group (the active group). */
+    return (lock_tot == 1);
   }
 
   if (sum_lock >= 1.0f - VERTEX_WEIGHT_LOCK_EPSILON) {
@@ -446,7 +396,6 @@ static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
      * zero out what we can and return false. */
     dw = dvert->dw;
     for (int i = dvert->totweight; i != 0; i--, dw++) {
-      *dw = dvert->dw[i];
       if (dw->def_nr < defbase_tot && vgroup_bone_deformed[dw->def_nr]) {
         if ((vgroup_locked[dw->def_nr] == false) &&
             !(lock_active_vgroup && active_vgroup == dw->def_nr)) {
@@ -473,7 +422,7 @@ static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
     }
   }
   else {
-    fac = (1.0f - sum_lock) / tot;
+    fac = (1.0f - sum_lock) / unlock_tot;
     CLAMP(fac, 0.0f, 1.0f);
 
     dw = dvert->dw;
@@ -492,18 +441,18 @@ static bool do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(MDeformVert *dvert,
 }
 
 /**
- * A version of #do_weight_paint_normalize_all that only changes unlocked weights
+ * A version of #do_weight_paint_normalize that only changes unlocked weights
  * and does a second pass without the active vertex group locked when the first pass fails.
  */
-static void do_weight_paint_normalize_all_try(MDeformVert *dvert, tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso)
+static void do_weight_paint_normalize_try(MDeformVert *dvert, tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso)
 {
   /* First pass with both active and explicitly locked vertex groups restricted from change. */
-  bool succes = do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(
+  bool succes = do_weight_paint_normalize(
       dvert, gso->vgroup_tot, gso->vgroup_bone_deformed, gso->vgroup_locked, true, gso->vrgroup);
 
   if (!succes) {
     /* Second pass with active vertex group unlocked. */
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all_unlocked(
+    do_weight_paint_normalize(
         dvert, gso->vgroup_tot, gso->vgroup_bone_deformed, gso->vgroup_locked, false, -1);
   }
 }
@@ -585,7 +534,7 @@ static bool brush_draw_apply(tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso,
 
   /* Perform auto-normalize. */
   if (gso->auto_normalize) {
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all_try(dvert, gso);
+    do_weight_paint_normalize_try(dvert, gso);
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -615,7 +564,7 @@ static bool brush_average_apply(tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso,
 
   /* Perform auto-normalize. */
   if (gso->auto_normalize) {
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all_try(dvert, gso);
+    do_weight_paint_normalize_try(dvert, gso);
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -667,7 +616,7 @@ static bool brush_blur_apply(tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso,
 
   /* Perform auto-normalize. */
   if (gso->auto_normalize) {
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all_try(dvert, gso);
+    do_weight_paint_normalize_try(dvert, gso);
   }
 
   return true;
@@ -749,7 +698,7 @@ static bool brush_smear_apply(tGP_BrushWeightpaintData *gso,
 
   /* Perform auto-normalize. */
   if (gso->auto_normalize) {
-    do_weight_paint_normalize_all_try(dvert, gso);
+    do_weight_paint_normalize_try(dvert, gso);
   }
 
   return true;
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/include/ED_file_indexer.h b/source/blender/editors/include/ED_file_indexer.h
index 51950e40210..c70f2c82fa4 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/include/ED_file_indexer.h
+++ b/source/blender/editors/include/ED_file_indexer.h
@@ -130,10 +130,13 @@ void ED_file_indexer_entries_clear(FileIndexerEntries *indexer_entries);
  * Adds all entries from the given `datablock_infos` to the `indexer_entries`.
  * The datablock_infos must only contain data for a single IDType. The specific IDType must be
  * passed in the `idcode` parameter.
+ *
+ * \note This can "steal" data contained in \a datablock_infos, to avoid expensive copies, which is
+ *       supported by the #BLODataBlockInfo type.
  */
 void ED_file_indexer_entries_extend_from_datablock_infos(
     FileIndexerEntries *indexer_entries,
-    const LinkNode * /*BLODataBlockInfo*/ datablock_infos,
+    struct LinkNode * /*BLODataBlockInfo*/ datablock_infos,
     int idcode);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/space_file/file_indexer.cc b/source/blender/editors/space_file/file_indexer.cc
index c0352552bed..50ac7094290 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/space_file/file_indexer.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/space_file/file_indexer.cc
@@ -42,12 +42,14 @@ constexpr FileIndexerType default_indexer()
 }
 
 static FileIndexerEntry *file_indexer_entry_create_from_datablock_info(
-    const BLODataBlockInfo *datablock_info, const int idcode)
+    BLODataBlockInfo *datablock_info, const int idcode)
 {
   FileIndexerEntry *entry = static_cast<FileIndexerEntry *>(
       MEM_mallocN(sizeof(FileIndexerEntry), __func__));
-  entry->datablock_info = *datablock_info;
   entry->idcode = idcode;
+  /* Shallow copy data-block info and mark original as having its asset data ownership stolen. */
+  entry->datablock_info = *datablock_info;
+  datablock_info->free_asset_data = false;
   return entry;
 }
 
@@ -57,11 +59,11 @@ extern "C" {
 
 void ED_file_indexer_entries_extend_from_datablock_infos(
     FileIndexerEntries *indexer_entries,
-    const LinkNode * /*BLODataBlockInfo*/ datablock_infos,
+    LinkNode * /*BLODataBlockInfo*/ datablock_infos,
     const int idcode)
 {
-  for (const LinkNode *ln = datablock_infos; ln; ln = ln->next) {
-    const BLODataBlockInfo *datablock_info = static_cast<const BLODataBlockInfo *>(ln->link);
+  for (LinkNode *ln = datablock_infos; ln; ln = ln->next) {
+    BLODataBlockInfo *datablock_info = static_cast<BLODataBlockInfo *>(ln->link);
     FileIndexerEntry *file_indexer_entry =
         blender::ed::file::indexer::file_indexer_entry_create_from_datablock_info(datablock_info,
                                                                                   idcode);