diff --git a/composer.lock b/composer.lock
index 70a45f65..70769c11 100644
--- a/composer.lock
+++ b/composer.lock
@@ -64,16 +64,16 @@
         },
         {
             "name": "codeinwp/themeisle-sdk",
-            "version": "3.3.52",
+            "version": "3.3.53",
             "source": {
                 "type": "git",
                 "url": "https://github.com/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk.git",
-                "reference": "d1ae68cbd4f84934b4d982e9eeff317b9f4c814a"
+                "reference": "a657eaedf62cc84c82e539167ac9e19b3e618ce8"
             },
             "dist": {
                 "type": "zip",
-                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk/zipball/d1ae68cbd4f84934b4d982e9eeff317b9f4c814a",
-                "reference": "d1ae68cbd4f84934b4d982e9eeff317b9f4c814a",
+                "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk/zipball/a657eaedf62cc84c82e539167ac9e19b3e618ce8",
+                "reference": "a657eaedf62cc84c82e539167ac9e19b3e618ce8",
                 "shasum": ""
             },
             "require-dev": {
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@
             ],
             "support": {
                 "issues": "https://github.com/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk/issues",
-                "source": "https://github.com/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk/tree/v3.3.52"
+                "source": "https://github.com/Codeinwp/themeisle-sdk/tree/v3.3.53"
             },
-            "time": "2026-05-14T19:43:56+00:00"
+            "time": "2026-06-18T07:32:53+00:00"
         },
         {
             "name": "enshrined/svg-sanitize",
diff --git a/inc/url_replacer.php b/inc/url_replacer.php
index b358c52a..af827f3c 100644
--- a/inc/url_replacer.php
+++ b/inc/url_replacer.php
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ public function build_url(
 			$url = sprintf( '%s://%s', is_ssl() ? 'https' : 'http', $url );
 		}
 		$normalized_ext = strtolower( $ext );
+		$url = esc_url( $url );
+		if ( empty( $url ) ) {
+			return $original_url;
+		}
 		if ( isset( Optml_Config::$image_extensions[ $normalized_ext ] ) ) {
 			$new_url = $this->normalize_image( $url, $original_url, $args, $is_uploaded, $normalized_ext );
 			if ( $is_uploaded ) {