diff --git a/src/rvalue.h b/src/rvalue.h
index c76307063..38bd0e656 100644
--- a/src/rvalue.h
+++ b/src/rvalue.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ struct RValue {
         GMLMethod* method;
 #endif
         Instance* structInst;
+        int32_t assetIndex;
     };
     // We use uint8_t for the type instead of RValueType because a enum value occupies 4 bytes, while uint8_t occupies 1 byte
     uint8_t type;
@@ -329,7 +330,19 @@ static inline char* RValue_toString(RValue val) {
             snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "<struct:%u>", val.structInst != nullptr ? Instance_getInstanceId(val.structInst) : 0);
             return safeStrdup(buf);
         case RVALUE_ASSETREF:
-            snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", val.int32);
+            switch (val.assetRefType) {
+            case ASSET_TYPE_PATH:
+                snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "ref path __newpath%d", val.int32);
+                break;
+
+            case ASSET_TYPE_SPRITE:
+                snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "ref sprite %d", val.int32);
+                break;
+
+            default:
+                snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%d", val.int32);
+                break;
+            }
             return safeStrdup(buf);
     }
     return safeStrdup("");
diff --git a/src/vm_builtins.c b/src/vm_builtins.c
index bd3c122d8..6db2f842b 100644
--- a/src/vm_builtins.c
+++ b/src/vm_builtins.c
@@ -14431,7 +14431,7 @@ static GamePath* getPath(Runner* runner, int32_t pathIdx) {
     return &runner->dataWin->path.paths[pathIdx];
 }
 
-// path_add() - create a new empty path, return its index
+// path_add() - create a new empty path, returns a path reference (AssetRef) to it, or -1 on failure.
 static RValue builtin_path_add(VMContext* ctx, MAYBE_UNUSED RValue* args, MAYBE_UNUSED int32_t argCount) {
     Runner* runner = ctx->runner;
     PathChunk* pc = &runner->dataWin->path;
@@ -14441,7 +14441,11 @@ static RValue builtin_path_add(VMContext* ctx, MAYBE_UNUSED RValue* args, MAYBE_
     pc->paths = paths;
     GamePath* p = &paths[newIdx];
     memset(p, 0, sizeof(GamePath));
-    p->name = "";
+
+    char buffer[32];
+    snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "__newpath%u", newIdx);
+    p->name = safeStrdup(buffer);
+
     p->isSmooth = false;
     p->isClosed = true;
     p->precision = 4;
@@ -14451,7 +14455,7 @@ static RValue builtin_path_add(VMContext* ctx, MAYBE_UNUSED RValue* args, MAYBE_
     p->internalPoints = nullptr;
     p->length = 0.0;
     pc->count = newIdx + 1;
-    return RValue_makeInt32((int32_t) newIdx);
+    return RValue_makeAssetRef((int32_t)newIdx, ASSET_TYPE_PATH);
 }
 
 // path_clear_points(path)