diff --git a/internal/tsoptions/parsinghelpers.go b/internal/tsoptions/parsinghelpers.go
index 47a4d476bf..b540e47a04 100644
--- a/internal/tsoptions/parsinghelpers.go
+++ b/internal/tsoptions/parsinghelpers.go
@@ -74,11 +74,15 @@ func parseProjectReference(json any) []*core.ProjectReference {
 	var result []*core.ProjectReference
 	if v, ok := json.(*collections.OrderedMap[string, any]); ok {
 		var reference core.ProjectReference
-		if v, ok := v.Get("path"); ok {
-			reference.Path = v.(string)
+		if pathValue, ok := v.Get("path"); ok {
+			if pathStr, ok := pathValue.(string); ok {
+				reference.Path = pathStr
+			}
 		}
-		if v, ok := v.Get("circular"); ok {
-			reference.Circular = v.(bool)
+		if circularValue, ok := v.Get("circular"); ok {
+			if circularBool, ok := circularValue.(bool); ok {
+				reference.Circular = circularBool
+			}
 		}
 		result = append(result, &reference)
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.js b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01e7588beb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+//// [tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts] ////
+
+//// [index.ts]
+export const x = 1;
+
+
+//// [index.js]
+export const x = 1;
diff --git a/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.symbols b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.symbols
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..601178d7c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.symbols
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//// [tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts] ////
+
+=== /src/index.ts ===
+export const x = 1;
+>x : Symbol(x, Decl(index.ts, 0, 12))
+
diff --git a/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.types b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.types
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..802ea8c260
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/baselines/reference/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.types
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+//// [tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts] ////
+
+=== /src/index.ts ===
+export const x = 1;
+>x : 1
+>1 : 1
+
diff --git a/testdata/tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts b/testdata/tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..181821407e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/tests/cases/compiler/projectReferenceNonStringPath.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// @filename: /src/tsconfig.json
+{
+    "references": [{ "path": true }, { "path": "./other", "circular": "yes" }]
+}
+
+// @filename: /src/index.ts
+export const x = 1;