diff --git a/src/apm_cli/models/dependency/reference.py b/src/apm_cli/models/dependency/reference.py
index 55207a9e..84a99202 100644
--- a/src/apm_cli/models/dependency/reference.py
+++ b/src/apm_cli/models/dependency/reference.py
@@ -129,14 +129,26 @@ def get_virtual_package_name(self) -> str:
     def is_local_path(dep_str: str) -> bool:
         """Check if a dependency string looks like a local filesystem path.
         
-        Local paths start with './', '../', '/', or '~'.
+        Local paths start with './', '../', '/', '~/', '~\\', or a Windows drive
+        letter (e.g. 'C:\\' or 'C:/').
         Protocol-relative URLs ('//...') are explicitly excluded.
         """
         s = dep_str.strip()
         # Reject protocol-relative URLs ('//...')
         if s.startswith('//'):
             return False
-        return s.startswith(('./','../', '/', '~/', '~\\', '.\\', '..\\'))
+        if s.startswith(('./','../', '/', '~/', '~\\', '.\\', '..\\')):
+            return True
+        # Windows absolute paths: drive letter + colon + separator (C:\ or C:/).
+        # Only ASCII letters A-Z/a-z are valid drive letters.
+        if (
+            len(s) >= 3
+            and (('A' <= s[0] <= 'Z') or ('a' <= s[0] <= 'z'))
+            and s[1] == ':'
+            and s[2] in ('\\', '/')
+        ):
+            return True
+        return False
 
     def get_unique_key(self) -> str:
         """Get a unique key for this dependency for deduplication.
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_local_deps.py b/tests/unit/test_local_deps.py
index 64491adb..323d2300 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_local_deps.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_local_deps.py
@@ -37,6 +37,18 @@ def test_windows_parent(self):
     def test_windows_home(self):
         assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("~\\repos\\my-pkg") is True
 
+    def test_windows_absolute_backslash(self):
+        assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("C:\\Users\\runner\\my-pkg") is True
+
+    def test_windows_absolute_forward_slash(self):
+        assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("D:/repos/my-pkg") is True
+
+    def test_windows_absolute_uppercase(self):
+        assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("Z:\\some\\path") is True
+
+    def test_windows_absolute_lowercase(self):
+        assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("c:\\users\\me\\pkg") is True
+
     def test_remote_shorthand_not_local(self):
         assert DependencyReference.is_local_path("owner/repo") is False