diff --git a/lix/libstore/path.cc b/lix/libstore/path.cc
index 4bdfb2483..838cb217d 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/path.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/path.cc
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ std::optional<StorePath> Store::maybeParseStorePath(std::string_view path) const
 {
     // If it's not an absolute path, or if the dirname of the path isn't /nix/store
     // (or whatever our storeDir is), then it can't be a store path.
-    if ((path.size() > 0 && path[0] != '/') || dirOf(canonPath(path)) != config().storeDir) {
+    if (path.size() == 0 || path[0] != '/' || dirOf(canonPath(path)) != config().storeDir) {
         return std::nullopt;
     }
     try {
diff --git a/lix/libutil/file-system.cc b/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
index 49fb80bca..b29361719 100644
--- a/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
+++ b/lix/libutil/file-system.cc
@@ -42,14 +42,12 @@ Path absPath(Path path, std::optional<PathView> dir, bool resolveSymlinks)
 
 Path canonPath(PathView path, bool resolveSymlinks)
 {
-    assert(path != "");
+    if (path == "" || path[0] != '/')
+        throw Error("not an absolute path: '%1%'", path);
 
     std::string s;
     s.reserve(256);
 
-    if (path[0] != '/')
-        throw Error("not an absolute path: '%1%'", path);
-
     std::string temp;
 
     /* Count the number of times we follow a symlink and stop at some
diff --git a/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc b/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
index 00fcf8269..bbf285bea 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libutil/tests.cc
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ namespace nix {
         ASSERT_ANY_THROW(canonPath("."));
         ASSERT_ANY_THROW(canonPath(".."));
         ASSERT_ANY_THROW(canonPath("../"));
-        ASSERT_DEATH({ canonPath(""); }, "path != \"\"");
+        ASSERT_ANY_THROW(canonPath(""));
     }
 
     /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------