diff --git a/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.spec.ts b/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.spec.ts
index f4eccecbe..a9e267791 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.spec.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,19 @@ describe("Asset Summary Report", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("Allows authors to specify assets with preceding forward slash", async () => {
+    const { asset_summary } = await reporter.process({
+      template: [
+        {
+          flow_type: "template",
+          flow_name: "test_forward_slash",
+          rows: [{ type: "audio", value: "/mock_audio.mp3" }],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    expect(asset_summary.data).toEqual([{ path: "mock_audio.mp3", size_kb: 2048, count: 1 }]);
+  });
+
   it("Reports missing assets", async () => {
     const { assets_missing } = await reporter.process(MOCK_WORKBOOK_DATA);
     expect(assets_missing.data).toEqual([{ path: "missing_audio.mp3", count: 1, missing: true }]);
diff --git a/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.ts b/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.ts
index f628bdd19..978e58c91 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.ts
+++ b/packages/scripts/src/commands/app-data/report/reporters/asset-summary.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { FlowTypes, IAssetEntryHashmap, IDeploymentConfigJson } from "data-models";
+import { FlowTypes, IAssetEntryHashmap } from "data-models";
 import { IReportTable } from "../report.types";
-import { isObjectLiteral, kbToMB, sortJsonKeys } from "shared";
+import { cleanAssetName, isObjectLiteral, kbToMB, sortJsonKeys } from "shared";
 import { IParsedWorkbookData } from "../../convert/types";
 
 interface IReportData {
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ export class AssetsSummaryReport {
   }
 
   private markAsset(name: string) {
+    // NOTE - use same method as frontend asset service to allow assets with preceding `/`
+    name = cleanAssetName(name);
     this.reportSummary[name] ??= 0;
     this.reportSummary[name]++;
   }
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/utils/string-utils.ts b/packages/shared/src/utils/string-utils.ts
index aaf8ab5ea..63a1ae2d3 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/utils/string-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/utils/string-utils.ts
@@ -43,3 +43,9 @@ export function parseStringValue(v: string): any {
   if (v.match(/^"[a-z0-9.]*"$/gi)) return v.replace(/"/g, "");
   return v;
 }
+
+/** Remove preceding `/` from any named asset paths */
+export function cleanAssetName(value: string) {
+  if (value.startsWith("/")) value = value.substring(1);
+  return value;
+}
diff --git a/src/app/shared/components/template/services/template-asset.service.ts b/src/app/shared/components/template/services/template-asset.service.ts
index 9603436a3..c1d6a1857 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/components/template/services/template-asset.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/components/template/services/template-asset.service.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { TemplateTranslateService } from "./template-translate.service";
 import { IAssetEntry, IAssetContentsEntryMinimal } from "data-models";
 import { HttpClient } from "@angular/common/http";
 import { BehaviorSubject, lastValueFrom } from "rxjs";
+import { cleanAssetName } from "packages/shared/src/utils/string-utils";
 
 /** Synced assets are automatically copied during build to asset subfolder */
 const ASSETS_BASE = `assets/app_data/assets`;
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ export class TemplateAssetService extends AsyncServiceBase {
    * 4. default theme, default language
    */
   getTranslatedAssetPath(value: string) {
-    let assetName = this.cleanAssetName(value);
+    let assetName = cleanAssetName(value);
     const assetEntry = this.assetsContentsList$.value[assetName];
     if (!assetEntry) {
       console.error("Asset missing", value, assetName);
@@ -86,12 +87,6 @@ export class TemplateAssetService extends AsyncServiceBase {
     return this.getAssetPath(assetName, assetEntry);
   }
 
-  private cleanAssetName(value: string) {
-    // remove prefix slash
-    if (value.startsWith("/")) value = value.substring(1);
-    return value;
-  }
-
   private getAssetPath(
     assetName: string,
     contentsEntry: IAssetContentsEntryMinimal | Partial<IAssetEntry>