diff --git a/fastapi_startkit/src/fastapi_startkit/support/providers/provider.py b/fastapi_startkit/src/fastapi_startkit/support/providers/provider.py
index b0c56046..4a88a1e0 100644
--- a/fastapi_startkit/src/fastapi_startkit/support/providers/provider.py
+++ b/fastapi_startkit/src/fastapi_startkit/support/providers/provider.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from collections.abc import Callable
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 from fastapi_startkit.support import Str
@@ -10,13 +11,13 @@
 
 
 class Provider:
-    provider_key: str | None = None
+    provider_key: str = ""
 
     def __init__(self, application: "Application[AppConfig]", config: dict[str, Any] | None = None):
         self.app: "Application[AppConfig]" = application
         self.config = config or {}
 
-        if self.provider_key is None:
+        if not self.provider_key:
             self.provider_key = str(Str.of(self.__class__.__name__).trim("ServiceProvider").trim("Provider").slugify())
 
     def register(self) -> None:
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ def resolve_config(self, default: Callable[[], object]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     def merge_config_from(self, source: str | dict, provider_key: str) -> None:
         self.app.make("config").merge_with(provider_key, source)
 
-    def publishes(self, resources: dict[str, Any], tag: str | None = None) -> None:
+    def publishes(self, resources: dict[str | Path, str], tag: str | None = None) -> None:
         self.app.published_resources.setdefault(self.provider_key, {}).update(resources)
 
     def commands(self, commands: list) -> None:
diff --git a/fastapi_startkit/tests/core/test_providers.py b/fastapi_startkit/tests/core/test_providers.py
index 68cfbfa5..8c92f75f 100644
--- a/fastapi_startkit/tests/core/test_providers.py
+++ b/fastapi_startkit/tests/core/test_providers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """Tests for the Provider pattern (task #10)."""
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import pytest
 
 from fastapi_startkit.application import Application
@@ -115,6 +117,26 @@ class DatabaseProvider(Provider):
         p = DatabaseProvider(app)
         assert p.provider_key == "database"
 
+    def test_empty_provider_key_is_inferred(self, app):
+        class BlankKeyProvider(Provider):
+            provider_key = ""
+
+        p = BlankKeyProvider(app)
+        assert p.provider_key == "blankkey"
+
+    def test_publishes_accepts_str_and_path_sources(self, app):
+        class AssetsProvider(Provider):
+            pass
+
+        p = AssetsProvider(app)
+        p.publishes({"/stubs/a.py": "config/a.py"})
+        p.publishes({Path("/stubs/b.py"): "config/b.py"})
+
+        assert app.published_resources["assets"] == {
+            "/stubs/a.py": "config/a.py",
+            Path("/stubs/b.py"): "config/b.py",
+        }
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # register() phase