diff --git a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
index 3028b8115a..fe1fb098db 100644
--- a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
+++ b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include <mayaUsd/utils/utilSerialization.h>
 
 #include <pxr/base/tf/notice.h>
+#include <pxr/usd/ar/resolver.h>
+#include <pxr/usd/ar/resolverContextBinder.h>
 
 #include <maya/MGlobal.h>
 #include <maya/MQtUtil.h>
@@ -300,13 +302,7 @@ void LayerTreeModel::rebuildModel(bool refreshLockState /*= false*/)
     _lastAskedAnonLayerNameSinceRebuild = 0;
 
     beginResetModel();
-
-    //  Note: do *not* call clear() here! Unfortunately, clear() itself calls,
-    //        beginResetModel() and endResetModel(). Qt does not detect the nested
-    //        begin/end/ So calling clear() would make the layer manager flicker
-    //        to be empty for a brief time.
-    if (rowCount() > 0)
-        removeRows(0, rowCount());
+    clear();
 
     if (_sessionState->isValid()) {
         auto rootLayer = _sessionState->stage()->GetRootLayer();
@@ -349,6 +345,11 @@ void LayerTreeModel::rebuildModel(bool refreshLockState /*= false*/)
                 sharedStage,
                 &sharedLayers));
         }
+        /*
+         * Here we need to create a resolver context to be able to update the target layer
+         */
+        auto ctx = ArGetResolver().CreateDefaultContextForAsset(rootLayer->GetIdentifier());
+        const ArResolverContextBinder binder(ctx);
 
         appendRow(new LayerTreeItem(
             rootLayer, LayerType::RootLayer, "", &incomingLayers, sharedStage, &sharedLayers));
@@ -412,8 +413,36 @@ void LayerTreeModel::updateTargetLayer(InRebuildModel inRebuild)
 void LayerTreeModel::usd_layerChanged(SdfNotice::LayersDidChangeSentPerLayer const& notice)
 {
     // experienced crashes in python prototype  For now, rebuild everything
-    if (!_blockUsdNotices)
-        rebuildModelOnIdle();
+    if (!_blockUsdNotices) {
+        /*
+         * Here we filter the cases where we need a refresh as it takes time.
+         * We only refresh in the case the identifier, the resolved path,
+         * the content or a sublayer has been changed.
+         */
+        bool rebuildModelRequired { false };
+        for (auto changePair : notice.GetChangeListVec()) {
+            const auto &entryList = changePair.second.GetEntryList();
+            for (const auto &entryPair : entryList) {
+
+                if (entryPair.second.flags.didChangeIdentifier ||
+                    entryPair.second.flags.didChangeResolvedPath ||
+                    entryPair.second.flags.didReplaceContent ||
+                    entryPair.second.flags.didReloadContent ||
+                    entryPair.second.subLayerChanges.size() > 0
+                ) {
+                    rebuildModelRequired = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (rebuildModelRequired) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (rebuildModelRequired) {
+            rebuildModelOnIdle();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // notification from USD
diff --git a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/mayaCommandHook.cpp b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/mayaCommandHook.cpp
index 15e04e5f03..0062db0bf7 100644
--- a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/mayaCommandHook.cpp
+++ b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/mayaCommandHook.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::insertSubLayerPath(UsdLayer usdLayer, Path path, int index
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -insertSubPath ";
     cmd += std::to_string(index);
     cmd += quote(path);
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -127,7 +130,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::removeSubLayerPath(UsdLayer usdLayer, Path path)
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -removeSubPath ";
     cmd += std::to_string(index);
     cmd += quote(proxyShapePath());
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -140,9 +146,15 @@ void MayaCommandHook::moveSubLayerPath(
     std::string cmd;
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -moveSubPath ";
     cmd += quote(path);
-    cmd += quote(newParentUsdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string newParentUsdLayerPath{newParentUsdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? newParentUsdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                                         newParentUsdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(newParentUsdLayerPath);    
     cmd += std::to_string(index);
-    cmd += quote(oldParentUsdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string oldParentUsdLayerPath{oldParentUsdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? oldParentUsdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                                         oldParentUsdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(oldParentUsdLayerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -153,7 +165,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::replaceSubLayerPath(UsdLayer usdLayer, Path oldPath, Path
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -replaceSubPath ";
     cmd += quote(oldPath);
     cmd += quote(newPath);
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +177,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::discardEdits(UsdLayer usdLayer)
 {
     std::string cmd;
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -discardEdits ";
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 
     refreshLayerSystemLock(usdLayer);
@@ -173,7 +191,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::clearLayer(UsdLayer usdLayer)
 {
     std::string cmd;
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -clear ";
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -183,8 +204,12 @@ UsdLayer MayaCommandHook::addAnonymousSubLayer(UsdLayer usdLayer, std::string ne
     std::string cmd;
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -addAnonymous ";
     cmd += quote(newName);
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     std::string result = executeMel(cmd);
+
     if (result.size() > 0)
         return PXR_NS::SdfLayer::FindOrOpen(result);
     else
@@ -198,7 +223,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::muteSubLayer(UsdLayer usdLayer, bool muteIt)
     cmd = "mayaUsdLayerEditor -edit -muteLayer ";
     cmd += muteIt ? "1" : "0";
     cmd += quote(proxyShapePath());
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -218,7 +246,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::lockLayer(
     cmd += std::to_string(lockState);
     cmd += includeSubLayers ? " 1" : " 0";
     cmd += quote(proxyShapePath());
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }
 
@@ -229,7 +260,10 @@ void MayaCommandHook::refreshLayerSystemLock(UsdLayer usdLayer, bool refreshSubL
     cmd += quote(proxyShapePath());
     cmd += " ";
     cmd += std::to_string(refreshSubLayers);
-    cmd += quote(usdLayer->GetIdentifier());
+    // Here we choose the identifier only if the layer is anonymous
+    std::string layerPath{usdLayer->IsAnonymous() ? usdLayer->GetIdentifier() :
+                                                    usdLayer->GetRealPath()};
+    cmd += quote(layerPath);
     executeMel(cmd);
 }