diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/fbx.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/fbx.py
index f8fe189589..260241f5fc 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/fbx.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/fbx.py
@@ -198,5 +198,5 @@ class FBXExtractor:
             path (str): Path to use for export.
 
         """
-        cmds.select(members, r=1, noExpand=True)
+        cmds.select(members, r=True, noExpand=True)
         mel.eval('FBXExport -f "{}" -s'.format(path))
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
index 41c67a6209..a5199d8443 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/api/lib.py
@@ -3085,11 +3085,20 @@ def set_colorspace():
 
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
-def root_parent(nodes):
-    # type: (list) -> list
+def parent_nodes(nodes, parent=None):
+    # type: (list, str) -> list
     """Context manager to un-parent provided nodes and return them back."""
     import pymel.core as pm  # noqa
 
+    parent_node = None
+    delete_parent = False
+
+    if parent:
+        if not cmds.objExists(parent):
+            parent_node = pm.createNode("transform", n=parent, ss=False)
+            delete_parent = True
+        else:
+            parent_node = pm.PyNode(parent)
     node_parents = []
     for node in nodes:
         n = pm.PyNode(node)
@@ -3100,9 +3109,14 @@ def root_parent(nodes):
         node_parents.append((n, root))
     try:
         for node in node_parents:
-            node[0].setParent(world=True)
+            if not parent:
+                node[0].setParent(world=True)
+            else:
+                node[0].setParent(parent_node)
         yield
     finally:
         for node in node_parents:
             if node[1]:
                 node[0].setParent(node[1])
+        if delete_parent:
+            pm.delete(parent_node)
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_skeletalmesh.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_skeletalmesh.py
index c0b408c3f0..6f4c70fc07 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_skeletalmesh.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_skeletalmesh.py
@@ -7,9 +7,8 @@ from maya import cmds  # noqa
 import pyblish.api
 import openpype.api
 from openpype.hosts.maya.api.lib import (
-    root_parent,
-    maintained_selection,
-    delete_after
+    parent_nodes,
+    maintained_selection
 )
 from openpype.hosts.maya.api import fbx
 
@@ -43,10 +42,18 @@ class ExtractUnrealSkeletalMesh(openpype.api.Extractor):
         self.log.info("Instance: {0}".format(instance[:]))
 
         fbx_exporter.set_options_from_instance(instance)
+
+        parent = "{}{}".format(
+            instance.data["asset"],
+            instance.data.get("variant", "")
+        )
         with maintained_selection():
-            with root_parent(to_extract):
-                rooted = [i.split("|")[-1] for i in to_extract]
-                self.log.info("Un-parenting: {}".format(to_extract))
+            with parent_nodes(to_extract, parent=parent):
+                rooted = [
+                    "{}|{}".format(parent, i.split("|")[-1])
+                    for i in to_extract
+                ]
+                self.log.info("Un-parenting: {}".format(rooted, path))
                 fbx_exporter.export(rooted, path)
 
         if "representations" not in instance.data:
diff --git a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_staticmesh.py b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_staticmesh.py
index 02dd5dc572..c3cc322a29 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_staticmesh.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/maya/plugins/publish/extract_unreal_staticmesh.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from maya import cmds  # noqa
 import pyblish.api
 import openpype.api
 from openpype.hosts.maya.api.lib import (
-    root_parent,
+    parent_nodes,
     maintained_selection,
     delete_after
 )
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class ExtractUnrealStaticMesh(openpype.api.Extractor):
         fbx_exporter.set_options_from_instance(instance)
 
         with maintained_selection():
-            with root_parent(members):
+            with parent_nodes(members):
                 self.log.info("Un-parenting: {}".format(members))
                 fbx_exporter.export(members, path)