diff --git a/share/qtcreator/qmldesigner/itemLibraryQmlSources/Assets.qml b/share/qtcreator/qmldesigner/itemLibraryQmlSources/Assets.qml
index 57c0fe25213..8173457f73b 100644
--- a/share/qtcreator/qmldesigner/itemLibraryQmlSources/Assets.qml
+++ b/share/qtcreator/qmldesigner/itemLibraryQmlSources/Assets.qml
@@ -469,50 +469,62 @@ Item {
             visible: assetsModel.isEmpty && searchBox.isEmpty()
             clip: true
 
-            Column {
-                id: colNoAssets
+            DropArea { // handles external drop (goes into default folder based on suffix)
+                anchors.fill: parent
 
-                spacing: 20
-                x: 20
-                width: root.width - 2 * x
-                anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
-
-                Text {
-                    text: qsTr("Looks like you don't have any assets yet.")
-                    color: StudioTheme.Values.themeTextColor
-                    font.pixelSize: 18
-                    width: colNoAssets.width
-                    horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignHCenter
-                    wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
+                onEntered: (drag)=> {
+                    root.updateDropExtFiles(drag)
                 }
 
-                Image {
-                    source: "image://qmldesigner_assets/browse"
-                    anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter
-                    scale: maBrowse.containsMouse ? 1.2 : 1
-                    Behavior on scale {
-                        NumberAnimation {
-                            duration: 300
-                            easing.type: Easing.OutQuad
+                onDropped: {
+                    rootView.handleExtFilesDrop(root.dropSimpleExtFiles, root.dropComplexExtFiles)
+                }
+
+                Column {
+                    id: colNoAssets
+
+                    spacing: 20
+                    x: 20
+                    width: root.width - 2 * x
+                    anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
+
+                    Text {
+                        text: qsTr("Looks like you don't have any assets yet.")
+                        color: StudioTheme.Values.themeTextColor
+                        font.pixelSize: 18
+                        width: colNoAssets.width
+                        horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignHCenter
+                        wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
+                    }
+
+                    Image {
+                        source: "image://qmldesigner_assets/browse"
+                        anchors.horizontalCenter: parent.horizontalCenter
+                        scale: maBrowse.containsMouse ? 1.2 : 1
+                        Behavior on scale {
+                            NumberAnimation {
+                                duration: 300
+                                easing.type: Easing.OutQuad
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        MouseArea {
+                            id: maBrowse
+                            anchors.fill: parent
+                            hoverEnabled: true
+                            onClicked: rootView.handleAddAsset();
                         }
                     }
 
-                    MouseArea {
-                        id: maBrowse
-                        anchors.fill: parent
-                        hoverEnabled: true
-                        onClicked: rootView.handleAddAsset();
+                    Text {
+                        text: qsTr("Drag-and-drop your assets here or click the '+' button to browse assets from the file system.")
+                        color: StudioTheme.Values.themeTextColor
+                        font.pixelSize: 18
+                        width: colNoAssets.width
+                        horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignHCenter
+                        wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
                     }
                 }
-
-                Text {
-                    text: qsTr("Drag-and-drop your assets here or click the '+' button to browse assets from the file system.")
-                    color: StudioTheme.Values.themeTextColor
-                    font.pixelSize: 18
-                    width: colNoAssets.width
-                    horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignHCenter
-                    wrapMode: Text.WordWrap
-                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.cpp b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.cpp
index bed85b99e84..34be8ab46d9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.cpp
@@ -218,11 +218,16 @@ void AssetsLibraryWidget::handleExtFilesDrop(const QStringList &simpleFilesPaths
                                              const QString &targetDirPath)
 {
     if (!simpleFilesPaths.isEmpty()) {
-        AddFilesResult result = ModelNodeOperations::addFilesToProject(simpleFilesPaths, targetDirPath);
-        if (result == AddFilesResult::Failed) {
-            Core::AsynchronousMessageBox::warning(tr("Failed to Add Files"),
-                                                  tr("Could not add %1 to project.")
-                                                      .arg(simpleFilesPaths.join(' ')));
+        if (targetDirPath.isEmpty()) {
+            addResources(simpleFilesPaths);
+        } else {
+            AddFilesResult result = ModelNodeOperations::addFilesToProject(simpleFilesPaths,
+                                                                           targetDirPath);
+            if (result == AddFilesResult::Failed) {
+                Core::AsynchronousMessageBox::warning(tr("Failed to Add Files"),
+                                                      tr("Could not add %1 to project.")
+                                                          .arg(simpleFilesPaths.join(' ')));
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.h b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.h
index 47a9ce681d6..abf91c3a8ce 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmldesigner/components/assetslibrary/assetslibrarywidget.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE void handleSearchfilterChanged(const QString &filterText);
     Q_INVOKABLE void handleExtFilesDrop(const QStringList &simpleFilesPaths,
                                         const QStringList &complexFilesPaths,
-                                        const QString &targetDirPath);
+                                        const QString &targetDirPath = {});
     Q_INVOKABLE QSet<QString> supportedAssetSuffixes(bool complex);
 
 signals: