diff --git a/source/MaterialXCore/Version.cpp b/source/MaterialXCore/Version.cpp
index 689b9cf720..880393071c 100644
--- a/source/MaterialXCore/Version.cpp
+++ b/source/MaterialXCore/Version.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,33 @@ void copyInputWithBindings(NodePtr sourceNode, const string& sourceInputName,
     }
 }
 
+InputPtr removeUnboundInput(NodePtr node, const string& inputName)
+{
+    InputPtr input = node->getInput(inputName);
+    if (input && !input->hasNodeName() && !input->hasNodeGraphString() &&
+        !input->hasOutputString() && !input->hasInterfaceName())
+    {
+        node->removeInput(inputName);
+        input = nullptr;
+    }
+    return input;
+}
+
+void copyInputOrConnectWorldGeomProp(NodePtr sourceNode, const string& sourceInputName,
+                                     NodePtr destNode, const string& destInputName,
+                                     GraphElementPtr graph, const string& geomCategory)
+{
+    if (sourceNode->getInput(sourceInputName))
+    {
+        copyInputWithBindings(sourceNode, sourceInputName, destNode, destInputName);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    NodePtr geomNode = graph->addNode(geomCategory, graph->createValidChildName("normalmap_" + geomCategory), "vector3");
+    geomNode->setInputValue("space", string("world"));
+    destNode->addInput(destInputName, "vector3")->setConnectedNode(geomNode);
+}
+
 } // anonymous namespace
 
 void Document::upgradeVersion()
@@ -1405,17 +1432,20 @@ void Document::upgradeVersion()
                     // Clear tangent-space input.
                     node->removeInput("space");
 
-                    // If the normal or tangent inputs are set and the bitangent input is not, 
-                    // the bitangent should be set to normalize(cross(N, T))
-                    InputPtr normalInput = node->getInput("normal");
-                    InputPtr tangentInput = node->getInput("tangent");
-                    InputPtr bitangentInput = node->getInput("bitangent");
+                    // Normalmap frame inputs have 1.39 default geometric properties, so any
+                    // unbound legacy literal should be ignored in favor of those geomprops.
+                    InputPtr normalInput = removeUnboundInput(node, "normal");
+                    InputPtr tangentInput = removeUnboundInput(node, "tangent");
+                    InputPtr bitangentInput = removeUnboundInput(node, "bitangent");
+
+                    // If the normal or tangent inputs are set and the bitangent input is not,
+                    // the bitangent should be set to normalize(cross(N, T)).
                     if ((normalInput || tangentInput) && !bitangentInput)
                     {
                         GraphElementPtr graph = node->getAncestorOfType<GraphElement>();
                         NodePtr crossNode = graph->addNode("crossproduct", graph->createValidChildName("normalmap_cross"), "vector3");
-                        copyInputWithBindings(node, "normal", crossNode, "in1");
-                        copyInputWithBindings(node, "tangent", crossNode, "in2");
+                        copyInputOrConnectWorldGeomProp(node, "normal", crossNode, "in1", graph, "normal");
+                        copyInputOrConnectWorldGeomProp(node, "tangent", crossNode, "in2", graph, "tangent");
 
                         NodePtr normalizeNode = graph->addNode("normalize", graph->createValidChildName("normalmap_cross_norm"), "vector3");
                         normalizeNode->addInput("in", "vector3")->setConnectedNode(crossNode);