diff --git a/source/blender/asset_system/tests/asset_representation_test.cc b/source/blender/asset_system/tests/asset_representation_test.cc
index d2ed2c2a5f1..7d62e932ee9 100644
--- a/source/blender/asset_system/tests/asset_representation_test.cc
+++ b/source/blender/asset_system/tests/asset_representation_test.cc
@@ -132,6 +132,35 @@ TEST_F(AssetRepresentationTest, weak_reference__compare)
     other.relative_asset_identifier = "path/to/an/asset";
     EXPECT_EQ(weak_ref, other);
 
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = "";
+    EXPECT_NE(weak_ref, other);
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = nullptr;
+    EXPECT_NE(weak_ref, other);
+
+    /* Make the destructor work. */
+    other.asset_library_identifier = nullptr;
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = nullptr;
+  }
+
+  /* Same but comparing windows and unix style paths. */
+  {
+    AssetLibraryService *service = AssetLibraryService::get();
+    AssetLibrary *const library = service->get_asset_library_on_disk_custom("My custom lib",
+                                                                            asset_library_root_);
+    AssetRepresentation &asset = add_dummy_asset(*library, "path/to/an/asset");
+
+    AssetWeakReference weak_ref = asset.make_weak_reference();
+    AssetWeakReference other;
+    other.asset_library_type = ASSET_LIBRARY_CUSTOM;
+    other.asset_library_identifier = "My custom lib";
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = "path\\to\\an\\asset";
+    EXPECT_EQ(weak_ref, other);
+
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = "";
+    EXPECT_NE(weak_ref, other);
+    other.relative_asset_identifier = nullptr;
+    EXPECT_NE(weak_ref, other);
+
     /* Make the destructor work. */
     other.asset_library_identifier = nullptr;
     other.relative_asset_identifier = nullptr;
diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/asset_weak_reference.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/asset_weak_reference.cc
index 89447e719e7..bcce242973d 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/asset_weak_reference.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/asset_weak_reference.cc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include <memory>
 
+#include "BLI_path_util.h"
 #include "BLI_string.h"
 
 #include "AS_asset_identifier.hh"
@@ -78,10 +79,15 @@ bool operator==(const AssetWeakReference &a, const AssetWeakReference &b)
   if (a.asset_library_type != b.asset_library_type) {
     return false;
   }
-  if (StringRef(a.asset_library_identifier) != StringRef(b.asset_library_identifier)) {
+
+  const char *a_lib_idenfifier = a.asset_library_identifier ? a.asset_library_identifier : "";
+  const char *b_lib_idenfifier = b.asset_library_identifier ? b.asset_library_identifier : "";
+  if (BLI_path_cmp_normalized(a_lib_idenfifier, b_lib_idenfifier) != 0) {
     return false;
   }
-  if (StringRef(a.relative_asset_identifier) != StringRef(b.relative_asset_identifier)) {
+  const char *a_asset_idenfifier = a.relative_asset_identifier ? a.relative_asset_identifier : "";
+  const char *b_asset_idenfifier = b.relative_asset_identifier ? b.relative_asset_identifier : "";
+  if (BLI_path_cmp_normalized(a_asset_idenfifier, b_asset_idenfifier) != 0) {
     return false;
   }
   return true;