diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/create/create_mayascene.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/create/create_mayascene.py
index b61c97aebf..c6bf1662a1 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/create/create_mayascene.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/create/create_mayascene.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from openpype.hosts.maya.api import plugin
+from openpype.lib import BoolDef
 
 
 class CreateMayaScene(plugin.MayaCreator):
@@ -9,3 +10,12 @@ class CreateMayaScene(plugin.MayaCreator):
     label = "Maya Scene"
     family = "mayaScene"
     icon = "file-archive-o"
+
+    def get_instance_attr_defs(self):
+        return [
+            BoolDef(
+                "preserve_references",
+                label="Preserve References",
+                default=True
+            )
+        ]
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_maya_scene_raw.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_maya_scene_raw.py
index ab170fe48c..bfce0607e1 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_maya_scene_raw.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_maya_scene_raw.py
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ class ExtractMayaSceneRaw(publish.Extractor):
                       force=True,
                       typ="mayaAscii" if self.scene_type == "ma" else "mayaBinary",  # noqa: E501
                       exportSelected=True,
-                      preserveReferences=True,
+                      preserveReferences=instance.data.get(
+                          "creator_attributes", {}
+                      ).get("preserve_references", True),
                       constructionHistory=True,
                       shader=True,
                       constraints=True,