diff --git a/wp-includes/script-loader.php b/wp-includes/script-loader.php
index 9423145a77..f48e8debeb 100644
--- a/wp-includes/script-loader.php
+++ b/wp-includes/script-loader.php
@@ -2944,25 +2944,24 @@ function _wp_normalize_relative_css_links( $css, $stylesheet_url ) {
 		static function ( $matches ) use ( $stylesheet_url ) {
 			list( , $prefix, $url ) = $matches;
 
-			if ( ! (
-				str_starts_with( $url, 'http:' )
-				||
-				str_starts_with( $url, 'https:' )
-				||
-				str_starts_with( $url, '//' )
-				||
-				str_starts_with( $url, '#' )
-				||
+			// Short-circuit if the URL does not require normalization.
+			if (
+				str_starts_with( $url, 'http:' ) ||
+				str_starts_with( $url, 'https:' ) ||
+				str_starts_with( $url, '//' ) ||
+				str_starts_with( $url, '#' ) ||
 				str_starts_with( $url, 'data:' )
-			) ) {
-				// Build the absolute URL.
-				$absolute_url = dirname( $stylesheet_url ) . '/' . $url;
-				$absolute_url = str_replace( '/./', '/', $absolute_url );
-
-				// Convert to URL related to the site root.
-				$url = wp_make_link_relative( $absolute_url );
+			) {
+				return $matches[0];
 			}
 
+			// Build the absolute URL.
+			$absolute_url = dirname( $stylesheet_url ) . '/' . $url;
+			$absolute_url = str_replace( '/./', '/', $absolute_url );
+
+			// Convert to URL related to the site root.
+			$url = wp_make_link_relative( $absolute_url );
+
 			return $prefix . $url;
 		},
 		$css
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 590ff7a391..f716b5ada3 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.3-alpha-55667';
+$wp_version = '6.3-alpha-55669';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.