diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.cpp
index b92523fca3..7a347e6b3b 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.cpp
@@ -226,7 +226,10 @@ MSyntax MayaUSDExportCommand::createSyntax()
         kExcludeExportTypesFlag,
         UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->excludeExportTypes.GetText(),
         MSyntax::kString);
-    syntax.makeFlagMultiUse((kExcludeExportTypesFlag));
+    syntax.makeFlagMultiUse(kExcludeExportTypesFlag);
+
+    syntax.addFlag(
+        kDefaultPrimFlag, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->defaultPrim.GetText(), MSyntax::kString);
 
     // These are additional flags under our control.
     syntax.addFlag(
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.h b/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.h
index 5ae84ecaa8..308493012b 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.h
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/commands/baseExportCommand.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ class MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC MayaUSDExportCommand : public MPxCommand
     static constexpr auto kCustomLayerData = "cld";
     static constexpr auto kMetersPerUnit = "mpu";
     static constexpr auto kExcludeExportTypesFlag = "eet";
+    static constexpr auto kDefaultPrimFlag = "dp";
 
     // Short and Long forms of flags defined by this command itself:
     static constexpr auto kAppendFlag = "a";
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/functorPrimWriter.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/functorPrimWriter.cpp
index 47e72fbdc1..3eee232e52 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/functorPrimWriter.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/functorPrimWriter.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ void UsdMaya_FunctorPrimWriter::Write(const UsdTimeCode& usdTime)
     const UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs args(
         GetDagPath(),
         _GetExportArgs().exportRefsAsInstanceable,
-        _GetExportArgs().excludeExportTypes);
+        _GetExportArgs().excludeExportTypes,
+        _GetExportArgs().defaultPrim);
 
     UsdMayaPrimWriterContext ctx(usdTime, GetUsdPath(), GetUsdStage());
 
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.cpp
index 9bdf615fd8..3dc51e5750 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.cpp
@@ -666,6 +666,7 @@ UsdMayaJobExportArgs::UsdMayaJobExportArgs(
     , includeAPINames(extractTokenSet(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->apiSchema))
     , jobContextNames(extractTokenSet(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->jobContext))
     , excludeExportTypes(extractTokenSet(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->excludeExportTypes))
+    , defaultPrim(extractString(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->defaultPrim))
     , chaserNames(extractVector<std::string>(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->chaser))
     , allChaserArgs(_ChaserArgs(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->chaserArgs))
     , customLayerData(_CustomLayerData(userArgs, UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->customLayerData))
@@ -1017,6 +1018,7 @@ const VtDictionary& UsdMayaJobExportArgs::GetDefaultDictionary()
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->customLayerData] = std::vector<VtValue>();
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->metersPerUnit] = 0.0;
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->excludeExportTypes] = std::vector<VtValue>();
+        d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->defaultPrim] = std::string();
 
         // plugInfo.json site defaults.
         // The defaults dict should be correctly-typed, so enable
@@ -1107,6 +1109,7 @@ const VtDictionary& UsdMayaJobExportArgs::GetGuideDictionary()
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->staticSingleSample] = _boolean;
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->geomSidedness] = _string;
         d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->excludeExportTypes] = _stringVector;
+        d[UsdMayaJobExportArgsTokens->defaultPrim] = _string;
     });
 
     return d;
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.h b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.h
index 20ade7dce4..b267cc6db6 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.h
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/jobArgs.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ TF_DECLARE_PUBLIC_TOKENS(
     (compatibility) \
     (defaultCameras) \
     (defaultMeshScheme) \
+    (defaultPrim) \
     (defaultUSDFormat) \
     (eulerFilter) \
     (exportBlendShapes) \
@@ -250,6 +251,7 @@ struct UsdMayaJobExportArgs
     const TfToken::Set includeAPINames;
     const TfToken::Set jobContextNames;
     const TfToken::Set excludeExportTypes;
+    const std::string      defaultPrim;
 
     using ChaserArgs = std::map<std::string, std::string>;
     const std::vector<std::string>          chaserNames;
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/writeJob.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/writeJob.cpp
index 047f12a0f8..77250f10fe 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/writeJob.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/jobs/writeJob.cpp
@@ -556,7 +556,10 @@ bool UsdMaya_WriteJob::_FinishWriting()
         UsdGeomSetStageMetersPerUnit(mJobCtx.mStage, mJobCtx.mArgs.metersPerUnit);
     }
 
-    if (usdRootPrim) {
+    if (!mJobCtx.mArgs.defaultPrim.empty()) {
+        defaultPrim = TfToken(mJobCtx.mArgs.defaultPrim);
+        mJobCtx.mStage->GetRootLayer()->SetDefaultPrim(defaultPrim);
+    } else if (usdRootPrim) {
         // We have already decided above that 'usdRootPrim' is the important
         // prim for the export... usdVariantRootPrimPath
         mJobCtx.mStage->GetRootLayer()->SetDefaultPrim(defaultPrim);
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.cpp
index c8464d2a1f..a3ec3d67b5 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.cpp
@@ -24,10 +24,12 @@ PXR_NAMESPACE_OPEN_SCOPE
 UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs::UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs(
     const MDagPath&     dagPath,
     const bool          exportRefsAsInstanceable,
-    const TfToken::Set& excludeExportTypes)
+    const TfToken::Set& excludeExportTypes,
+    const std::string&  defaultPrim)
     : _dagPath(dagPath)
     , _exportRefsAsInstanceable(exportRefsAsInstanceable)
     , _excludeExportTypes(excludeExportTypes)
+    , _defaultPrim(defaultPrim)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.h b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.h
index a06b2c4710..264e49a3ec 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.h
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/fileio/primWriterArgs.h
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ class UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs
     UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs(
         const MDagPath&     dagPath,
         const bool          exportRefsAsInstanceable,
-        const TfToken::Set& excludeExportTypes);
+        const TfToken::Set& excludeExportTypes,
+        const std::string&      defaultPrim);
 
     /// \brief returns the MObject that should be exported.
     MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ class UsdMayaPrimWriterArgs
     MDagPath     _dagPath;
     bool         _exportRefsAsInstanceable;
     TfToken::Set _excludeExportTypes;
+    std::string  _defaultPrim;
 };
 
 PXR_NAMESPACE_CLOSE_SCOPE