diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file/file_watcher.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file/file_watcher.rs
index e70cf1665f..891b6fa0ae 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file/file_watcher.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file/file_watcher.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ use crate::{
     path::normalize_path,
 };
 use alloc::borrow::ToOwned;
+use alloc::string::String;
+use alloc::vec::Vec;
 use core::time::Duration;
 use crossbeam_channel::Sender;
 use notify_debouncer_full::{
@@ -31,11 +33,12 @@ pub struct FileWatcher {
 impl FileWatcher {
     /// Creates a new [`FileWatcher`] that watches for changes to the asset files in the given `path`.
     pub fn new(
-        path: PathBuf,
+        path: String,
         sender: Sender<AssetSourceEvent>,
         debounce_wait_time: Duration,
     ) -> Result<Self, notify::Error> {
-        let root = normalize_path(&path).canonicalize()?;
+        let split_path: Vec<_> = path.split("/").collect();
+        let root = normalize_path(&split_path).join("/");
         let watcher = new_asset_event_debouncer(
             path.clone(),
             debounce_wait_time,
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ pub(crate) fn get_asset_path(root: &Path, absolute_path: &Path) -> (PathBuf, boo
 /// event management logic across filesystem-driven [`AssetWatcher`] impls. Each operating system / platform behaves
 /// a little differently and this is the result of a delicate balancing act that we should only perform once.
 pub(crate) fn new_asset_event_debouncer(
-    root: PathBuf,
+    root: String,
     debounce_wait_time: Duration,
     mut handler: impl FilesystemEventHandler,
 ) -> Result<Debouncer<RecommendedWatcher, RecommendedCache>, notify::Error> {
@@ -253,7 +256,7 @@ pub(crate) fn new_asset_event_debouncer(
 
 pub(crate) struct FileEventHandler {
     sender: Sender<AssetSourceEvent>,
-    root: PathBuf,
+    root: String,
     last_event: Option<AssetSourceEvent>,
 }
 
@@ -263,7 +266,7 @@ impl FilesystemEventHandler for FileEventHandler {
     }
     fn get_path(&self, absolute_path: &Path) -> Option<(PathBuf, bool)> {
         let absolute_path = absolute_path.canonicalize().ok()?;
-        Some(get_asset_path(&self.root, &absolute_path))
+        Some(get_asset_path(Path::new(&self.root), &absolute_path))
     }
 
     fn handle(&mut self, _absolute_paths: &[PathBuf], event: AssetSourceEvent) {
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/source.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/source.rs
index 4852a2a71f..6496a85a06 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/source.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/source.rs
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ impl AssetSource {
                 if path.exists() {
                     Some(Box::new(
                         super::file::FileWatcher::new(
-                            path.clone(),
+                            path.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
                             sender,
                             file_debounce_wait_time,
                         )
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/path.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/path.rs
index d09ef86372..9159857147 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/path.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/path.rs
@@ -167,27 +167,6 @@ impl<'a> AssetPath<'a> {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Normalizes a string-based path by collapsing all occurrences of '.' and '..' dot-segments where possible
-    /// as per [RFC 1808](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1808)
-    fn normalize_path<'b>(path: &'b [&'b str]) -> Vec<&'b str> {
-        let mut result_path = Vec::new();
-        for &elt in path {
-            if elt == "." {
-                // Skip
-            } else if elt == ".." {
-                if result_path.is_empty() {
-                    // Preserve ".." if insufficient matches (per RFC 1808).
-                    result_path.push(elt);
-                } else {
-                    result_path.pop();
-                }
-            } else {
-                result_path.push(elt);
-            }
-        }
-        result_path
-    }
-
     // Attempts to Parse a &str into an `AssetPath`'s `AssetPath::source`, `AssetPath::path`, and `AssetPath::label` components.
     fn parse_internal(
         asset_path: &str,
@@ -509,7 +488,7 @@ impl<'a> AssetPath<'a> {
                 Vec::new()
             };
             result_path.extend(rpath.split("/").filter(|s| !s.is_empty()));
-            let result_path = Self::normalize_path(&result_path).join("/");
+            let result_path = normalize_path(&result_path).join("/");
 
             Ok(AssetPath {
                 source: match source {
@@ -732,15 +711,17 @@ impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for AssetPathVisitor {
 
 /// Normalizes the path by collapsing all occurrences of '.' and '..' dot-segments where possible
 /// as per [RFC 1808](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc1808)
-pub(crate) fn normalize_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
-    let mut result_path = PathBuf::new();
-    for elt in path.iter() {
+pub(crate) fn normalize_path<'b>(path: &'b [&'b str]) -> Vec<&'b str> {
+    let mut result_path = Vec::new();
+    for &elt in path {
         if elt == "." {
             // Skip
         } else if elt == ".." {
-            if !result_path.pop() {
+            if result_path.is_empty() {
                 // Preserve ".." if insufficient matches (per RFC 1808).
                 result_path.push(elt);
+            } else {
+                result_path.pop();
             }
         } else {
             result_path.push(elt);
@@ -748,7 +729,6 @@ pub(crate) fn normalize_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
     }
     result_path
 }
-
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use crate::AssetPath;