diff --git a/deps/outliner/src/logseq/outliner/property.cljs b/deps/outliner/src/logseq/outliner/property.cljs
index 46de4af4b4..292a96619e 100644
--- a/deps/outliner/src/logseq/outliner/property.cljs
+++ b/deps/outliner/src/logseq/outliner/property.cljs
@@ -669,14 +669,20 @@
 
         :else
         (batch-remove-property! conn [eid] property-id)))))
+
 (defn- set-block-db-attribute!
-  [conn db block property property-id v]
-  (throw-error-if-invalid-property-value db property v)
-  (when (= property-id :block/alias)
-    (throw-error-if-invalid-alias db block v))
-  (when-not (and (= property-id :block/alias) (= v (:db/id block)))
+  [conn block property property-id raw-v tx-v]
+  (let [validation-db @conn
+        validation-v (if (and (= :db.type/ref (:db/valueType property))
+                              (some? tx-v))
+                       tx-v
+                       raw-v)]
+    (throw-error-if-invalid-property-value validation-db property validation-v)
+    (when (= property-id :block/alias)
+      (doseq [alias-id (if (coll? tx-v) tx-v [tx-v])]
+        (throw-error-if-invalid-alias validation-db block alias-id)))
     (let [tx-data (cond->
-                   [{:db/id (:db/id block) property-id v}]
+                   [{:db/id (:db/id block) property-id tx-v}]
                     (= property-id :logseq.property.class/extends)
                     (conj [:db/retract (:db/id block) :logseq.property.class/extends :logseq.class/Root]))]
       (ldb/transact! conn tx-data
@@ -719,7 +725,7 @@
              (outliner-validate/validate-extends-property @conn v' [block]))
            (cond
              db-attribute?
-             (set-block-db-attribute! conn db block property property-id v)
+             (set-block-db-attribute! conn block property property-id v v')
 
              :else
              (let [_ (assert (some? property) (str "Property " property-id " doesn't exist yet"))
diff --git a/src/test/frontend/db/model_test.cljs b/src/test/frontend/db/model_test.cljs
index edbf555e51..efcebbc760 100644
--- a/src/test/frontend/db/model_test.cljs
+++ b/src/test/frontend/db/model_test.cljs
@@ -79,6 +79,18 @@
                     conn (:db/id already-a) :block/alias (:db/id new-target)))
           "page that is an alias cannot gain its own aliases"))))
 
+(deftest page-alias-converts-string-value-via-set-block-property
+  (let [conn (db-test/create-conn-with-blocks
+              {:pages-and-blocks [{:page {:block/title "canonical-string-alias"}}]})
+        canonical (db-test/find-page-by-title @conn "canonical-string-alias")]
+    (outliner-property/set-block-property!
+     conn (:db/id canonical) :block/alias "string-alias")
+    (let [alias-page (db-test/find-page-by-title @conn "string-alias")
+          canonical' (d/entity @conn (:db/id canonical))]
+      (is alias-page)
+      (is (= #{(:db/id alias-page)}
+             (set (map :db/id (:block/alias canonical'))))))))
+
 (deftest page-alias-invariants-reject-invalid-via-batch-set-property
   (testing "batch path: duplicate owner is rejected"
     (let [conn (db-test/create-conn-with-blocks