diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/load/load_xgen.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/load/load_xgen.py
index 565d1306b4..8249c9092e 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/load/load_xgen.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/load/load_xgen.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
         # Copy the xgen palette file from published version.
         _, maya_extension = os.path.splitext(maya_filepath)
         source = maya_filepath.replace(maya_extension, ".xgen")
-        destination = os.path.join(
+        xgen_file = os.path.join(
             project_path,
             "{basename}__{namespace}__{name}.xgen".format(
                 basename=os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(current_file()))[0],
@@ -40,15 +40,15 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
                 name=name
             )
         ).replace("\\", "/")
-        self.log.info("Copying {} to {}".format(source, destination))
-        shutil.copy(source, destination)
+        self.log.info("Copying {} to {}".format(source, xgen_file))
+        shutil.copy(source, xgen_file)
 
         # Modify xgDataPath and xgProjectPath to have current workspace first
         # and published version directory second. This ensure that any newly
         # created xgen files are created in the current workspace.
         resources_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(source), "resources")
         lines = []
-        with open(destination, "r") as f:
+        with open(xgen_file, "r") as f:
             for line in [line.rstrip() for line in f]:
                 if line.startswith("\txgDataPath"):
                     data_path = line.split("\t")[-1]
@@ -67,10 +67,12 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
 
                 lines.append(line)
 
-        with open(destination, "w") as f:
+        with open(xgen_file, "w") as f:
             f.write("\n".join(lines))
 
-        return destination
+        xgd_file = xgen_file.replace(".xgen", ".xgd")
+
+        return xgen_file, xgd_file
 
     def process_reference(self, context, name, namespace, options):
         # Validate workfile has a path.
@@ -78,7 +80,8 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
             QtWidgets.QMessageBox.warning(
                 None,
                 "",
-                "Current workfile has not been saved."
+                "Current workfile has not been saved. Please save the workfile"
+                " before loading an Xgen."
             )
             return
 
@@ -87,10 +90,9 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
         )
 
         name = context["representation"]["data"]["xgenName"]
-        xgen_file = self.setup_xgen_palette_file(
+        xgen_file, xgd_file = self.setup_xgen_palette_file(
             maya_filepath, namespace, name
         )
-        xgd_file = xgen_file.replace(".xgen", ".xgd")
 
         # Reference xgen. Xgen does not like being referenced in under a group.
         new_nodes = []
@@ -105,17 +107,7 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
             )
 
             xgen_palette = cmds.ls(nodes, type="xgmPalette", long=True)[0]
-            cmds.setAttr(
-                "{}.xgBaseFile".format(xgen_palette),
-                os.path.basename(xgen_file),
-                type="string"
-            )
-            cmds.setAttr(
-                "{}.xgFileName".format(xgen_palette),
-                os.path.basename(xgd_file),
-                type="string"
-            )
-            cmds.setAttr("{}.xgExportAsDelta".format(xgen_palette), True)
+            self.set_palette_attributes(xgen_palette, xgen_file, xgd_file)
 
             # This create an expression attribute of float. If we did not add
             # any changes to collection, then Xgen does not create an xgd file
@@ -133,10 +125,24 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
 
         return new_nodes
 
+    def set_palette_attributes(self, xgen_palette, xgen_file, xgd_file):
+        cmds.setAttr(
+            "{}.xgBaseFile".format(xgen_palette),
+            os.path.basename(xgen_file),
+            type="string"
+        )
+        cmds.setAttr(
+            "{}.xgFileName".format(xgen_palette),
+            os.path.basename(xgd_file),
+            type="string"
+        )
+        cmds.setAttr("{}.xgExportAsDelta".format(xgen_palette), True)
+
     def update(self, container, representation):
         """Workflow for updating Xgen.
 
-        - Copy and overwrite the workspace .xgen file.
+        - Copy and potentially overwrite the workspace .xgen file.
+        - Export changes to delta file.
         - Set collection attributes to not include delta files.
         - Update xgen maya file reference.
         - Apply the delta file changes.
@@ -144,22 +150,28 @@ class XgenLoader(openpype.hosts.maya.api.plugin.ReferenceLoader):
 
         We have to do this workflow because when using referencing of the xgen
         collection, Maya implicitly imports the Xgen data from the xgen file so
-        we dont have any control over added the delta file changes.
+        we dont have any control over when adding the delta file changes.
+
+        There is an implicit increment of the xgen and delta files, due to
+        using the workfile basename.
         """
 
         container_node = container["objectName"]
         members = get_container_members(container_node)
+        xgen_palette = cmds.ls(members, type="xgmPalette", long=True)[0]
         reference_node = get_reference_node(members, self.log)
         namespace = cmds.referenceQuery(reference_node, namespace=True)[1:]
 
-        xgen_file = self.setup_xgen_palette_file(
+        xgen_file, xgd_file = self.setup_xgen_palette_file(
             get_representation_path(representation),
             namespace,
             representation["data"]["xgenName"]
         )
-        xgd_file = xgen_file.replace(".xgen", ".xgd")
 
-        xgen_palette = cmds.ls(members, type="xgmPalette", long=True)[0]
+        # Export current changes to apply later.
+        xgenm.createDelta(xgen_palette.replace("|", ""), xgd_file)
+
+        self.set_palette_attributes(xgen_palette, xgen_file, xgd_file)
 
         attribute_data = {
             "{}.xgFileName".format(xgen_palette): os.path.basename(xgen_file),