diff --git a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerEditorWidget.cpp b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerEditorWidget.cpp
index 538a80f99..9f64cc7a0 100644
--- a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerEditorWidget.cpp
+++ b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerEditorWidget.cpp
@@ -145,6 +145,13 @@ QLayout* LayerEditorWidget::setupLayout_toolbar()
         this,
         &LayerEditorWidget::onLazyUpdateLayerContents);
 
+    // update layer contents widget on selected layer data change
+    connect(
+        _treeView->layerTreeModel(),
+        &LayerTreeModel::selectedLayerDataChangedSignal,
+        this,
+        &LayerEditorWidget::onLazyUpdateLayerContents);
+
     _buttons._loadLayer = addHIGButton(
         ":/UsdLayerEditor/import_layer",
         StringResources::getAsQString(StringResources::kLoadExistingLayer),
diff --git a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
index 39b49a1ba..4bf35c2fb 100644
--- a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
+++ b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.cpp
@@ -294,11 +294,12 @@ void LayerTreeModel::setSessionState(SessionState* in_sessionState)
         this,
         &LayerTreeModel::autoHideSessionLayerChanged);
 
-    rebuildModelOnIdle();
+    rebuildModelOnIdle(true);
 }
 
-void LayerTreeModel::rebuildModelOnIdle()
+void LayerTreeModel::rebuildModelOnIdle(bool dataChanged)
 {
+    _selectedLayerDataChanged |= dataChanged;
     if (!_rebuildOnIdlePending) {
         _rebuildOnIdlePending = true;
         QTimer::singleShot(0, this, [this]() {
@@ -313,6 +314,11 @@ void LayerTreeModel::rebuildModel(bool refreshLockState /*= false*/)
     _rebuildOnIdlePending = false;
     _lastAskedAnonLayerNameSinceRebuild = 0;
 
+    if (_selectedLayerDataChanged) {
+        Q_EMIT selectedLayerDataChangedSignal();
+        _selectedLayerDataChanged = false;
+    }
+
     if (!_sessionState->isValid()) {
         if (rowCount() > 0) {
             // Note: clear() calls beginResetModel and endResetModel for us.
@@ -472,7 +478,7 @@ void LayerTreeModel::usd_layerChanged(SdfNotice::LayersDidChangeSentPerLayer con
 {
     // experienced crashes in python prototype  For now, rebuild everything
     if (!_blockUsdNotices)
-        rebuildModelOnIdle();
+        rebuildModelOnIdle(true);
 }
 
 // notification from USD
diff --git a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.h b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.h
index d37b85276..aa7c91ada 100644
--- a/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.h
+++ b/lib/usd/ui/layerEditor/layerTreeModel.h
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ class LayerTreeModel
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void selectLayerSignal(const QModelIndex&);
+    void selectedLayerDataChangedSignal();
 
 protected:
     // slots
@@ -149,8 +150,9 @@ class LayerTreeModel
 
     mutable int _lastAskedAnonLayerNameSinceRebuild = 0;
 
-    void rebuildModelOnIdle();
+    void rebuildModelOnIdle(bool dataChanged = false);
     bool _rebuildOnIdlePending = false;
+    bool _selectedLayerDataChanged = false;
     void rebuildModel(bool refreshLockState = false);
 
     void updateTargetLayer(InRebuildModel inRebuild);