diff --git a/eeschema/sch_screen.cpp b/eeschema/sch_screen.cpp
index 11ff599f29..091b594bd4 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_screen.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/sch_screen.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Copyright (C) 2013 Jean-Pierre Charras, jp.charras at wanadoo.fr
  * Copyright (C) 2012 SoftPLC Corporation, Dick Hollenbeck <dick@softplc.com>
  * Copyright (C) 2008 Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@gmail.com>
- * Copyright (C) 1992-2023 KiCad Developers, see AUTHORS.txt for contributors.
+ * Copyright (C) 1992-2024 KiCad Developers, see AUTHORS.txt for contributors.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
@@ -1634,8 +1634,10 @@ void SCH_SCREEN::PruneOrphanedSymbolInstances( const wxString& aProjectName,
     // The project name cannot be empty.  Projects older than 7.0 did not save project names
     // when saving instance data.  Running this algorithm with an empty project name would
     // clobber all instance data for projects other than the current one when a schematic
-    // file is shared across multiple projects.
-    wxCHECK( !aProjectName.IsEmpty(), /* void */ );
+    // file is shared across multiple projects.  Because running the schematic editor in
+    // stand alone mode can result in an empty project name, do not assert here.
+    if( aProjectName.IsEmpty() )
+        return;
 
     for( SCH_ITEM* item : Items().OfType( SCH_SYMBOL_T ) )
     {
@@ -1679,8 +1681,10 @@ void SCH_SCREEN::PruneOrphanedSheetInstances( const wxString& aProjectName,
     // The project name cannot be empty.  Projects older than 7.0 did not save project names
     // when saving instance data.  Running this algorithm with an empty project name would
     // clobber all instance data for projects other than the current one when a schematic
-    // file is shared across multiple projects.
-    wxCHECK( !aProjectName.IsEmpty(), /* void */ );
+    // file is shared across multiple projects.  Because running the schematic editor in
+    // stand alone mode can result in an empty project name, do not assert here.
+    if( aProjectName.IsEmpty() )
+        return;
 
     for( SCH_ITEM* item : Items().OfType( SCH_SHEET_T ) )
     {
@@ -2139,7 +2143,8 @@ void SCH_SCREEN::MigrateSimModels()
 void SCH_SCREENS::PruneOrphanedSymbolInstances( const wxString& aProjectName,
                                                 const SCH_SHEET_LIST& aValidSheetPaths )
 {
-    wxCHECK( !aProjectName.IsEmpty(), /* void */ );
+    if( aProjectName.IsEmpty() )
+        return;
 
     for( SCH_SCREEN* screen = GetFirst(); screen; screen = GetNext() )
         screen->PruneOrphanedSymbolInstances( aProjectName, aValidSheetPaths );
@@ -2149,7 +2154,8 @@ void SCH_SCREENS::PruneOrphanedSymbolInstances( const wxString& aProjectName,
 void SCH_SCREENS::PruneOrphanedSheetInstances( const wxString& aProjectName,
                                                const SCH_SHEET_LIST& aValidSheetPaths )
 {
-    wxCHECK( !aProjectName.IsEmpty(), /* void */ );
+    if( aProjectName.IsEmpty() )
+        return;
 
     for( SCH_SCREEN* screen = GetFirst(); screen; screen = GetNext() )
         screen->PruneOrphanedSheetInstances( aProjectName, aValidSheetPaths );