diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20250116-192616.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20250116-192616.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9913e2473a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20250116-192616.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Allow copying asset when dbt docs command is run outside the dbt project
+time: 2025-01-16T19:26:16.160976423Z
+custom:
+    Author: cedric-orange
+    Issue: "9308"
diff --git a/core/dbt/task/docs/generate.py b/core/dbt/task/docs/generate.py
index 0befb9d349b..2de9399d5b5 100644
--- a/core/dbt/task/docs/generate.py
+++ b/core/dbt/task/docs/generate.py
@@ -238,8 +238,10 @@ def run(self) -> CatalogArtifact:
             if os.path.exists(to_asset_path):
                 shutil.rmtree(to_asset_path)
 
-            if os.path.exists(asset_path):
-                shutil.copytree(asset_path, to_asset_path)
+            from_asset_path = os.path.join(self.config.project_root, asset_path)
+
+            if os.path.exists(from_asset_path):
+                shutil.copytree(from_asset_path, to_asset_path)
 
         if self.manifest is None:
             raise DbtInternalError("self.manifest was None in run!")
diff --git a/tests/functional/adapter/basic/test_docs_generate.py b/tests/functional/adapter/basic/test_docs_generate.py
index c6c070bf2a3..bf6384a5103 100644
--- a/tests/functional/adapter/basic/test_docs_generate.py
+++ b/tests/functional/adapter/basic/test_docs_generate.py
@@ -453,9 +453,30 @@ def test_run_and_generate(self, project, expected_catalog):
         verify_catalog(project, expected_catalog, start_time)
 
         # Check that assets have been copied to the target directory for use in the docs html page
-        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join("", "target", "assets"))
-        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join("", "target", "assets", "lorem-ipsum.txt"))
-        assert not os.path.exists(os.path.join("", "target", "non-existent-assets"))
+        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "assets"))
+        assert os.path.exists(
+            os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "assets", "lorem-ipsum.txt")
+        )
+        assert not os.path.exists(
+            os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "non-existent-assets")
+        )
+
+    # Test generic "docs generate" command
+    def test_locally_run_and_generate(self, project, expected_catalog):
+        os.chdir(
+            project.profiles_dir
+        )  # Change to random directory to test that assets doc generation works with project-dir
+        start_time = run_and_generate(project)
+        verify_catalog(project, expected_catalog, start_time)
+
+        # Check that assets have been copied to the target directory for use in the docs html page
+        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "assets"))
+        assert os.path.exists(
+            os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "assets", "lorem-ipsum.txt")
+        )
+        assert not os.path.exists(
+            os.path.join(project.project_root, "target", "non-existent-assets")
+        )
 
 
 class TestDocsGenerate(BaseDocsGenerate):