diff --git a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog.cc b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog.cc
index 572fbc7bb38..806ac8a4f7e 100644
--- a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog.cc
+++ b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog.cc
@@ -488,9 +488,7 @@ bool AssetCatalogService::write_to_disk_ex(const CatalogFilePath &blend_file_pat
     return catalog_collection_->catalog_definition_file_->write_to_disk();
   }
 
-  if (catalog_collection_->catalogs_.is_empty() &&
-      catalog_collection_->deleted_catalogs_.is_empty())
-  {
+  if (catalog_collection_->is_empty()) {
     /* Avoid saving anything, when there is nothing to save. */
     return true; /* Writing nothing when there is nothing to write is still a success. */
   }
diff --git a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.cc b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.cc
index 03d4e48fbb8..bc17db79cfc 100644
--- a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.cc
+++ b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.cc
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 
 namespace blender::asset_system {
 
+bool AssetCatalogCollection::is_empty() const
+{
+  return catalogs_.is_empty() && deleted_catalogs_.is_empty();
+}
+
 std::unique_ptr<AssetCatalogCollection> AssetCatalogCollection::deep_copy() const
 {
   auto copy = std::make_unique<AssetCatalogCollection>();
diff --git a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.hh b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.hh
index 546d7e33d6f..071edd5e03f 100644
--- a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.hh
+++ b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_catalog_collection.hh
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ class AssetCatalogCollection {
   AssetCatalogCollection(const AssetCatalogCollection &other) = delete;
   AssetCatalogCollection(AssetCatalogCollection &&other) noexcept = default;
 
+  /** Check if this contains any catalogs or deleted catalogs. Doesn't check if a CDF is present.
+   */
+  bool is_empty() const;
+
   std::unique_ptr<AssetCatalogCollection> deep_copy() const;
   using OnDuplicateCatalogIdFn =
       FunctionRef<void(const AssetCatalog &existing, const AssetCatalog &to_be_ignored)>;
diff --git a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_library_service.cc b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_library_service.cc
index cc722b4b15d..39ccd27b4b3 100644
--- a/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_library_service.cc
+++ b/source/blender/asset_system/intern/asset_library_service.cc
@@ -262,7 +262,9 @@ AssetLibrary *AssetLibraryService::move_runtime_current_file_into_on_disk_librar
                  "new on-disk library shouldn't have catalog definition files - root path "
                  "changed, so they would have to be relocated");
 
-  {
+  /* Create a CDF with the runtime catalogs that on-disk catalogs can be merged into. Only do if
+   * there's catalogs to write, otherwise we create empty CDFs on disk on every new .blend save. */
+  if (!catalog_service.catalog_collection_->is_empty()) {
     char asset_lib_cdf_path[PATH_MAX];
     BLI_path_join(asset_lib_cdf_path,
                   sizeof(asset_lib_cdf_path),