diff --git a/client/ayon_core/pipeline/usdlib.py b/client/ayon_core/pipeline/usdlib.py
index 2ff98c5e45..095f6fdc57 100644
--- a/client/ayon_core/pipeline/usdlib.py
+++ b/client/ayon_core/pipeline/usdlib.py
@@ -684,3 +684,20 @@ def get_sdf_format_args(path):
     """Return SDF_FORMAT_ARGS parsed to `dict`"""
     _raw_path, data = Sdf.Layer.SplitIdentifier(path)
     return data
+
+
+def get_standard_default_prim_name(folder_path: str) -> str:
+    """Return the AYON-specified default prim name for a folder path.
+
+    This is used e.g. for the default prim in AYON USD Contribution workflows.
+    """
+    folder_name: str = folder_path.rsplit("/", 1)[-1]
+
+    # Prim names are not allowed to start with a digit in USD. Authoring them
+    # would mean generating essentially garbage data and may result in
+    # unexpected behavior in certain USD or DCC versions, like failure to
+    # refresh in usdview or crashes in Houdini 21.
+    if folder_name and folder_name[0].isdigit():
+        folder_name = f"_{folder_name}"
+
+    return folder_name
diff --git a/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/extract_usd_layer_contributions.py b/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/extract_usd_layer_contributions.py
index 9db8c49a02..d5c5aca0f2 100644
--- a/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/extract_usd_layer_contributions.py
+++ b/client/ayon_core/plugins/publish/extract_usd_layer_contributions.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ try:
         variant_nested_prim_path,
         setup_asset_layer,
         add_ordered_sublayer,
-        set_layer_defaults
+        set_layer_defaults,
+        get_standard_default_prim_name
     )
 except ImportError:
     pass
@@ -176,7 +177,12 @@ def get_instance_uri_path(
 
         # If for whatever reason we were unable to retrieve from the context
         # then get the path from an existing database entry
-        path = get_representation_path_by_names(**query)
+        path = get_representation_path_by_names(
+            anatomy=context.data["anatomy"],
+            **names
+        )
+        if not path:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Unable to resolve publish path for: {names}")
 
         # Ensure `None` for now is also a string
         path = str(path)
@@ -640,6 +646,7 @@ class ExtractUSDLayerContribution(publish.Extractor):
     settings_category = "core"
 
     use_ayon_entity_uri = False
+    enforce_default_prim = False
 
     def process(self, instance):
 
@@ -650,9 +657,18 @@ class ExtractUSDLayerContribution(publish.Extractor):
         path = get_last_publish(instance)
         if path and BUILD_INTO_LAST_VERSIONS:
             sdf_layer = Sdf.Layer.OpenAsAnonymous(path)
+
+            # If enabled in settings, ignore any default prim specified on
+            # older publish versions and always publish with the AYON
+            # standard default prim
+            if self.enforce_default_prim:
+                sdf_layer.defaultPrim = get_standard_default_prim_name(
+                    folder_path
+                )
+
             default_prim = sdf_layer.defaultPrim
         else:
-            default_prim = folder_path.rsplit("/", 1)[-1]  # use folder name
+            default_prim = get_standard_default_prim_name(folder_path)
             sdf_layer = Sdf.Layer.CreateAnonymous()
             set_layer_defaults(sdf_layer, default_prim=default_prim)
 
@@ -810,7 +826,7 @@ class ExtractUSDAssetContribution(publish.Extractor):
         folder_path = instance.data["folderPath"]
         product_name = instance.data["productName"]
         self.log.debug(f"Building asset: {folder_path} > {product_name}")
-        folder_name = folder_path.rsplit("/", 1)[-1]
+        asset_name = get_standard_default_prim_name(folder_path)
 
         # Contribute layers to asset
         # Use existing asset and add to it, or initialize a new asset layer
@@ -829,7 +845,7 @@ class ExtractUSDAssetContribution(publish.Extractor):
             # the layer as either a default asset or shot structure.
             init_type = instance.data["contribution_target_product_init"]
             asset_layer, payload_layer = self.init_layer(
-                asset_name=folder_name, init_type=init_type
+                asset_name=asset_name, init_type=init_type
             )
 
         # Author timeCodesPerSecond and framesPerSecond if the asset layer
diff --git a/server/settings/publish_plugins.py b/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
index 2c133ddbbf..aa86398582 100644
--- a/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
+++ b/server/settings/publish_plugins.py
@@ -251,6 +251,19 @@ class AyonEntityURIModel(BaseSettingsModel):
     )
 
 
+class ExtractUSDLayerContributionModel(AyonEntityURIModel):
+    enforce_default_prim: bool = SettingsField(
+        title="Always set default prim to folder name.",
+        description=(
+            "When enabled ignore any default prim specified on older "
+            "published versions of a layer and always override it to the "
+            "AYON standard default prim. When disabled, preserve default prim "
+            "on the layer and then only the initial version would be setting "
+            "the AYON standard default prim."
+        )
+    )
+
+
 class PluginStateByHostModelProfile(BaseSettingsModel):
     _layout = "expanded"
     # Filtering
@@ -1251,9 +1264,11 @@ class PublishPuginsModel(BaseSettingsModel):
         default_factory=AyonEntityURIModel,
         title="Extract USD Asset Contribution",
     )
-    ExtractUSDLayerContribution: AyonEntityURIModel = SettingsField(
-        default_factory=AyonEntityURIModel,
-        title="Extract USD Layer Contribution",
+    ExtractUSDLayerContribution: ExtractUSDLayerContributionModel = (
+        SettingsField(
+            default_factory=ExtractUSDLayerContributionModel,
+            title="Extract USD Layer Contribution",
+        )
     )
     PreIntegrateThumbnails: PreIntegrateThumbnailsModel = SettingsField(
         default_factory=PreIntegrateThumbnailsModel,
@@ -1647,6 +1662,7 @@ DEFAULT_PUBLISH_VALUES = {
     },
     "ExtractUSDLayerContribution": {
         "use_ayon_entity_uri": False,
+        "enforce_default_prim": False,
     },
     "PreIntegrateThumbnails": {
         "enabled": True,