diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/base/tokens.h b/lib/mayaUsd/base/tokens.h
index 2235f1b794..b5043dce1f 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/base/tokens.h
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/base/tokens.h
@@ -14,15 +14,16 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 //
 
-#pragma once
+#ifndef PXRUSDMAYA_TOKENS_H
+#define PXRUSDMAYA_TOKENS_H
 
 #include "api.h"
 
 #include <pxr/base/tf/staticTokens.h>
 #include <pxr/pxr.h>
 
-#include <maya/MString.h>
-
+// See lib/mayaUsd/utils/util.h for a TfToken -> MString conversion
+//
 PXR_NAMESPACE_OPEN_SCOPE
 
 // Tokens that are used as optionVars in MayaUSD
@@ -33,11 +34,6 @@ PXR_NAMESPACE_OPEN_SCOPE
 
 TF_DECLARE_PUBLIC_TOKENS(MayaUsdOptionVars, MAYAUSD_CORE_PUBLIC, MAYA_USD_OPTIONVAR_TOKENS);
 
-// Convenience to convert a TfToken to MString
-//
-static inline MString toMString(const TfToken& token)
-{
-    return MString(token.data(), token.size());
-}
-
 PXR_NAMESPACE_CLOSE_SCOPE
+
+#endif
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
index 1c09138ff8..65307cf8c0 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/proxyShapeBase.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <mayaUsd/nodes/stageData.h>
 #include <mayaUsd/utils/query.h>
 #include <mayaUsd/utils/stageCache.h>
+#include <mayaUsd/utils/util.h>
 #include <mayaUsd/utils/utilFileSystem.h>
 
 #include <pxr/base/gf/bbox3d.h>
@@ -548,8 +549,8 @@ MStatus MayaUsdProxyShapeBase::computeInStageDataCached(MDataBlock& dataBlock)
                     SdfLayerRefPtr sessionLayer = computeSessionLayer(dataBlock);
 
                     bool targetSession
-                        = MGlobal::optionVarIntValue(
-                              toMString(MayaUsdOptionVars->mayaUsd_ProxyTargetsSessionLayerOnOpen))
+                        = MGlobal::optionVarIntValue(UsdMayaUtil::convert(
+                              MayaUsdOptionVars->mayaUsd_ProxyTargetsSessionLayerOnOpen))
                         == 1;
                     targetSession = targetSession || !rootLayer->PermissionToEdit();
 
diff --git a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/stageNode.cpp b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/stageNode.cpp
index db6c264f04..3ecda9b06a 100644
--- a/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/stageNode.cpp
+++ b/lib/mayaUsd/nodes/stageNode.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <mayaUsd/base/tokens.h>
 #include <mayaUsd/nodes/stageData.h>
 #include <mayaUsd/utils/stageCache.h>
+#include <mayaUsd/utils/util.h>
 
 #include <pxr/base/tf/staticTokens.h>
 #include <pxr/base/tf/stringUtils.h>
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ MStatus UsdMayaStageNode::compute(const MPlug& plug, MDataBlock& dataBlock)
             const bool           loadAll = true;
             UsdStageCacheContext ctx(UsdMayaStageCache::Get(loadAll));
 
-            bool targetSession = MGlobal::optionVarIntValue(toMString(
+            bool targetSession = MGlobal::optionVarIntValue(UsdMayaUtil::convert(
                                      MayaUsdOptionVars->mayaUsd_ProxyTargetsSessionLayerOnOpen))
                 == 1;
             targetSession = targetSession || !rootLayer->PermissionToEdit();