diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
index a3b45ffb7e..69f1d6b2f0 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ const MString MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::displayFilterName(
     TfStringPrintf("%sDisplayFilter", MayaUsdProxyShapeBaseTokens->MayaTypeName.GetText()).c_str());
 const MString MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::displayFilterLabel("USD Proxies");
 
+std::atomic<int> g_proxyShapeInstancesCount;
+
 // Attributes
 MObject MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::filePathAttr;
 MObject MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::filePathRelativeAttr;
@@ -535,6 +537,9 @@ MayaUsdProxyShapeBase* MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::GetShapeAtDagPath(const MDagPath&
     return pShape;
 }
 
+/* static */
+int MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::countProxyShapeInstances() { return g_proxyShapeInstancesCount; }
+
 /* static */
 void MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::SetClosestPointDelegate(ClosestPointDelegate delegate)
 {
@@ -1971,6 +1976,8 @@ MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::MayaUsdProxyShapeBase(
     , _unsharedStageRootSublayers()
     , _incomingLayers()
 {
+    g_proxyShapeInstancesCount += 1;
+
     TfRegistryManager::GetInstance().SubscribeTo<MayaUsdProxyShapeBase>();
 
     if (useLoadRulesHandling) {
@@ -1998,6 +2005,8 @@ MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::~MayaUsdProxyShapeBase()
     // Deregister from the load-rules handling used to transfer load rules
     // between the USD stage and a dynamic attribute on the proxy shape.
     MayaUsdProxyShapeStageExtraData::removeProxyShape(*this);
+
+    g_proxyShapeInstancesCount -= 1;
 }
 
 MSelectionMask MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::getShapeSelectionMask() const
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.h b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.h
index b0570d8bf7..19ff35336a 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.h
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.h
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ class MayaUsdProxyShapeBase
     MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC
     static MayaUsdProxyShapeBase* GetShapeAtDagPath(const MDagPath& dagPath);
 
+    MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC
+    static int countProxyShapeInstances();
+
     MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC
     static void SetClosestPointDelegate(ClosestPointDelegate delegate);
 
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/ufe/UsdStageMap.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/ufe/UsdStageMap.cpp
index 179583140a..9637c1cc0c 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/ufe/UsdStageMap.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/ufe/UsdStageMap.cpp
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ UsdStageWeakPtr UsdStageMap::stage(const Ufe::Path& path)
 
 MObject UsdStageMap::proxyShape(const Ufe::Path& path)
 {
+    // Optimization: if there are not proxy shape instances,
+    // there is nothing that can be mapped. Avoid trying to
+    // build the proxy shape map.
+    if (MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::countProxyShapeInstances() == 0)
+        return MObject();
+
     rebuildIfDirty();
 
     // In additional to the explicit dirty system it is possible that