diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/CommandSystem/Source/MorphTargetCommands.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/CommandSystem/Source/MorphTargetCommands.cpp
index 0a48952bfc..3ec4b9b894 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/CommandSystem/Source/MorphTargetCommands.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/CommandSystem/Source/MorphTargetCommands.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  *
  */
 
-// include the required headers
 #include "MorphTargetCommands.h"
 #include "CommandManager.h"
 #include <EMotionFX/Source/ActorManager.h>
@@ -110,6 +109,12 @@ namespace CommandSystem
             actor = actorInstance->GetActor();
         }
 
+        if (!actor)
+        {
+            AZ_Error("EMotionFX", false, "Cannot adjust morph target. Actor with ID %i cannot be found.", actorID);
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // get the level of detail to work on
         const uint32 lodLevel = parameters.GetValueAsInt("lodLevel", this);
 
diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/EMotionFXBuilder/EMotionFXBuilderComponent.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/EMotionFXBuilder/EMotionFXBuilderComponent.cpp
index 85b2b0fe3d..43222f9538 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/EMotionFXBuilder/EMotionFXBuilderComponent.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/EMotionFXBuilder/EMotionFXBuilderComponent.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include <EMotionFX/Pipeline/EMotionFXBuilder/EMotionFXBuilderComponent.h>
 
 #include <EMotionFX/Source/Allocators.h>
+#include <Integration/Assets/ActorAsset.h>
+#include <Integration/Assets/MotionAsset.h>
 #include <Integration/Assets/MotionSetAsset.h>
 #include <Integration/Assets/AnimGraphAsset.h>
 
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             s_EMotionFXAllocator = AZ::Environment::CreateVariable<EMotionFXAllocatorInitializer>(EMotionFXAllocatorInitializer::EMotionFXAllocatorInitializerTag);
 
             // Initialize asset handlers.
+            m_assetHandlers.emplace_back(aznew EMotionFX::Integration::ActorAssetHandler);
+            m_assetHandlers.emplace_back(aznew EMotionFX::Integration::MotionAssetHandler);
             m_assetHandlers.emplace_back(aznew EMotionFX::Integration::MotionSetAssetBuilderHandler);
             m_assetHandlers.emplace_back(aznew EMotionFX::Integration::AnimGraphAssetBuilderHandler);
 
@@ -45,9 +49,13 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             auto assetCatalog = AZ::Data::AssetCatalogRequestBus::FindFirstHandler();
             if (assetCatalog)
             {
+                assetCatalog->EnableCatalogForAsset(azrtti_typeid<EMotionFX::Integration::ActorAsset>());
+                assetCatalog->EnableCatalogForAsset(azrtti_typeid<EMotionFX::Integration::MotionAsset>());
                 assetCatalog->EnableCatalogForAsset(azrtti_typeid<EMotionFX::Integration::MotionSetAsset>());
                 assetCatalog->EnableCatalogForAsset(azrtti_typeid<EMotionFX::Integration::AnimGraphAsset>());
 
+                assetCatalog->AddExtension("actor");        // Actor
+                assetCatalog->AddExtension("motion");       // Motion
                 assetCatalog->AddExtension("motionset");    // Motion set
                 assetCatalog->AddExtension("animgraph");    // Anim graph
             }
diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/RCExt/Actor/ActorGroupExporter.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/RCExt/Actor/ActorGroupExporter.cpp
index 3d5e4fa413..baa2984d4f 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/RCExt/Actor/ActorGroupExporter.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Pipeline/RCExt/Actor/ActorGroupExporter.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 
 #include <AzCore/std/smart_ptr/shared_ptr.h>
 #include <EMotionFX/Source/Actor.h>
+#include <EMotionFX/Source/ActorManager.h>
 #include <EMotionFX/Source/Importer/Importer.h>
 #include <EMotionFX/CommandSystem/Source/MetaData.h>
 #include <EMotionFX/Exporters/ExporterLib/Exporter/Exporter.h>
+#include <Source/Integration/Assets/ActorAsset.h>
 #include <SceneAPIExt/Rules/ActorPhysicsSetupRule.h>
 #include <SceneAPIExt/Rules/SimulatedObjectSetupRule.h>
 
@@ -82,10 +84,19 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             AZStd::string metaDataString;
             if (Rule::MetaDataRule::LoadMetaData(actorGroup, metaDataString))
             {
+                // Create a temporary actor asset as the commands use the actor manager to find the corresponding actor object
+                // and our actor can only be found as part of a registered actor asset.
+                const AZ::Data::AssetId actorAssetId = AZ::Data::AssetId(AZ::Uuid::CreateRandom());
+                AZ::Data::Asset<Integration::ActorAsset> actorAsset = AZ::Data::AssetManager::Instance().CreateAsset<Integration::ActorAsset>(actorAssetId);
+                actorAsset.GetAs<Integration::ActorAsset>()->SetData(m_actor);
+                GetEMotionFX().GetActorManager()->RegisterActor(actorAsset);
+
                 if (!CommandSystem::MetaData::ApplyMetaDataOnActor(m_actor.get(), metaDataString))
                 {
                     AZ_Error("EMotionFX", false, "Applying meta data to actor '%s' failed.", m_actor->GetName());
                 }
+
+                GetEMotionFX().GetActorManager()->UnregisterActor(actorAsset->GetId());
             }
 
             AZStd::shared_ptr<EMotionFX::PhysicsSetup> physicsSetup;