diff --git a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
index 3b832da..e499358 100755
--- a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
+++ b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ class Packer:
         self._top_level_paths = set()  # type: typing.Set[pathlib.Path]
         self._output_path = None  # type: typing.Optional[pathlib.PurePath]
         self._output_paths = []  # type: typing.List[pathlib.PurePath]
+        self._rewrite_targets = {}  # type: typing.Dict[int, pathlib.PurePath]
+        """Destinations keyed by usage identity for path-only rewrites."""
 
         # Filled by execute()
         self._file_transferer = None  # type: typing.Optional[transfer.FileTransferer]
@@ -303,6 +305,70 @@ class Packer:
         self._output_path = self._output_paths[0]  # backward compat
         self._find_new_paths()
         self._group_rewrites()
+        self._normalise_linked_blend_paths()
+
+    def _normalise_linked_blend_paths(self) -> None:
+        """Make absolute paths in copied libraries portable.
+
+        Dependency tracing intentionally visits only datablocks used by the
+        top-level blend files. Linked blend files are nevertheless copied in
+        full, so unused datablocks can otherwise retain absolute paths such as
+        ``R:/project/asset.vdb``. Normalize those paths to their expected pack
+        locations without adding the referenced files to the pack.
+        """
+        if self.relative_only:
+            return
+
+        linked_blends = [
+            path
+            for path, action in self._actions.items()
+            if path not in self._top_level_paths
+            and path.suffix.lower() == ".blend"
+            and action.new_path is not None
+        ]
+        def usage_key(usage: result.BlockUsage) -> typing.Tuple:
+            field_names: typing.Tuple[bytes, ...]
+            if usage.path_full_field is not None:
+                field_names = (usage.path_full_field.name.name_full,)
+            else:
+                assert usage.path_dir_field is not None
+                assert usage.path_base_field is not None
+                field_names = (
+                    usage.path_dir_field.name.name_full,
+                    usage.path_base_field.name.name_full,
+                )
+            return usage.block.addr_old, field_names
+
+        for bfile_path in linked_blends:
+            action = self._actions[bfile_path]
+            existing_usages = {usage_key(usage) for usage in action.rewrites}
+            for usage in trace.local_deps(bfile_path):
+                key = usage_key(usage)
+                if key in existing_usages:
+                    continue
+                if usage.asset_path.is_blendfile_relative():
+                    continue
+
+                asset_path = usage.abspath
+                if self.keep_hierarchy:
+                    asset_pp = self._target_path / bpathlib.strip_root(asset_path)
+                elif self._path_in_project(asset_path):
+                    asset_pp = self._target_path / asset_path.relative_to(self.project)
+                else:
+                    asset_pp = (
+                        self._target_path
+                        / "_outside_project"
+                        / bpathlib.strip_root(asset_path)
+                    )
+
+                log.info(
+                    "Normalizing uncopied path in %s: %s",
+                    bfile_path,
+                    usage.asset_path,
+                )
+                action.rewrites.append(usage)
+                self._rewrite_targets[id(usage)] = pathlib.Path(asset_pp)
+                existing_usages.add(key)
 
     def _visit_sequence(self, asset_path: pathlib.Path, usage: result.BlockUsage):
         assert usage.is_sequence
@@ -543,8 +609,10 @@ class Packer:
             for usage in action.rewrites:
                 self._check_aborted()
                 assert isinstance(usage, result.BlockUsage)
-                asset_pp = self._actions[usage.abspath].new_path
-                assert isinstance(asset_pp, pathlib.Path)
+                asset_pp = self._rewrite_targets.get(id(usage))
+                if asset_pp is None:
+                    asset_pp = self._actions[usage.abspath].new_path
+                assert isinstance(asset_pp, pathlib.PurePath)
 
                 log.debug("   - %s is packed at %s", usage.asset_path, asset_pp)
                 relpath = bpathlib.BlendPath.mkrelative(asset_pp, bfile_pp)
diff --git a/blender_asset_tracer/trace/__init__.py b/blender_asset_tracer/trace/__init__.py
index 3c86574..4a711b3 100644
--- a/blender_asset_tracer/trace/__init__.py
+++ b/blender_asset_tracer/trace/__init__.py
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@ def deps(
             yield block_usage
 
 
+def local_deps(bfilepath: pathlib.Path) -> typing.Iterator[result.BlockUsage]:
+    """Report assets from every local block, without following libraries.
+
+    This is used for path-only normalization of linked blend files that are
+    copied whole into a pack. Unlike :func:`deps`, it deliberately inspects
+    unused datablocks too, but does not recursively collect their assets.
+    """
+    bfile = blendfile.open_cached(bfilepath)
+    for block in asset_holding_blocks(bfile.blocks):
+        yield from blocks2assets.iter_assets(block)
+
+
 def asset_holding_blocks(
     blocks: typing.Iterable[blendfile.BlendFileBlock],
 ) -> typing.Iterator[blendfile.BlendFileBlock]:
diff --git a/tests/test_pack.py b/tests/test_pack.py
index a20358d..6bea930 100755
--- a/tests/test_pack.py
+++ b/tests/test_pack.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from unittest import mock
 
 from blender_asset_tracer import blendfile, pack, bpathlib
 from blender_asset_tracer.pack import progress
+from blender_asset_tracer.trace import result
 from tests.abstract_test import AbstractBlendFileTest
 
 
@@ -151,6 +152,49 @@ class PackTest(AbstractPackTest):
         self.assertEqual(b"LILib.002", rw_dbllink[1].block_name)
         self.assertEqual(b"//../material_textures.blend", rw_dbllink[1].asset_path)
 
+    def test_normalises_unused_path_without_packing_asset(self):
+        infile = self.blendfiles / "doubly_linked.blend"
+        linked_file = self.blendfiles / "linked_cube.blend"
+        uncopied_asset = self.blendfiles / "uncopied.blend"
+
+        linked_bfile = blendfile.open_cached(linked_file)
+        library_block = linked_bfile.code_index[b"LI"][0]
+        _, path_field = library_block.get(b"name", return_field=True)
+        unused_usage = result.BlockUsage(
+            library_block,
+            bpathlib.BlendPath(str(uncopied_asset).encode()),
+            path_full_field=path_field,
+        )
+
+        def local_deps(path):
+            if path == linked_file:
+                return iter([unused_usage])
+            return iter(())
+
+        with mock.patch(
+            "blender_asset_tracer.pack.trace.local_deps", side_effect=local_deps
+        ):
+            with pack.Packer(infile, self.blendfiles, self.tpath) as packer:
+                packer.strategise()
+
+                self.assertNotIn(uncopied_asset, packer._actions)
+                self.assertIn(
+                    unused_usage, packer._actions[linked_file].rewrites
+                )
+                self.assertEqual(
+                    self.tpath / "uncopied.blend",
+                    packer._rewrite_targets[id(unused_usage)],
+                )
+
+                packer.execute()
+
+        packed_linked = blendfile.open_cached(
+            self.tpath / "linked_cube.blend", assert_cached=False
+        )
+        packed_library = packed_linked.code_index[b"LI"][0]
+        self.assertEqual(b"//uncopied.blend", packed_library[b"name"])
+        self.assertFalse((self.tpath / "uncopied.blend").exists())
+
     def test_strategise_relative_only(self):
         infile = self.blendfiles / "absolute_path.blend"