diff --git a/core/frontend/helpers/asset.js b/core/frontend/helpers/asset.js
index 36a7d93d0e..a33eaa5224 100644
--- a/core/frontend/helpers/asset.js
+++ b/core/frontend/helpers/asset.js
@@ -2,14 +2,19 @@
 // Usage: `{{asset "css/screen.css"}}`
 //
 // Returns the path to the specified asset.
-const proxy = require('./proxy');
+const {SafeString, metaData, errors, i18n} = require('./proxy');
 const get = require('lodash/get');
-const {SafeString} = proxy;
-const {getAssetUrl} = proxy.metaData;
+const {getAssetUrl} = metaData;
 
 module.exports = function asset(path, options) {
     const hasMinFile = get(options, 'hash.hasMinFile');
 
+    if (!path) {
+        throw new errors.IncorrectUsageError({
+            message: i18n.t('warnings.helpers.asset.pathIsRequired')
+        });
+    }
+
     return new SafeString(
         getAssetUrl(path, hasMinFile)
     );
diff --git a/core/server/translations/en.json b/core/server/translations/en.json
index c2a86b7d7a..80e176d8bf 100644
--- a/core/server/translations/en.json
+++ b/core/server/translations/en.json
@@ -578,6 +578,9 @@
             "flagMustBeEnabled": "The {flagName} flag must be enabled in labs if you wish to use the \\{\\{{helperName}\\}\\} helper.",
             "seeLink": "See {url}",
             "mustBeCalledAsBlock": "The \\{\\{{helperName}\\}\\} helper must be called as a block. E.g.  \\{\\{#{helperName}\\}\\} \\{\\{/{helperName}\\}\\}",
+            "asset": {
+                "pathIsRequired": "The \\{\\{asset\\}\\} helper must be passed a path"
+            },
             "foreach": {
                 "iteratorNeeded": "Need to pass an iterator to #foreach"
             },