diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Builders/Model/ModelAssetBuilderComponent.cpp b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Builders/Model/ModelAssetBuilderComponent.cpp
index 7100b2cd48..76e427a708 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Builders/Model/ModelAssetBuilderComponent.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Builders/Model/ModelAssetBuilderComponent.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ namespace AZ
             if (auto* serialize = azrtti_cast<SerializeContext*>(context))
             {
                 serialize->Class<ModelAssetBuilderComponent, SceneAPI::SceneCore::ExportingComponent>()
-                    ->Version(29);  // (updated to separate material slot ID from default material asset)
+                    ->Version(30);  // (updated to separate material slot ID from default material asset)
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/Gems/NvCloth/Code/Source/Pipeline/SceneAPIExt/ClothRule.cpp b/Gems/NvCloth/Code/Source/Pipeline/SceneAPIExt/ClothRule.cpp
index 383ea9e5f6..a2683be2ab 100644
--- a/Gems/NvCloth/Code/Source/Pipeline/SceneAPIExt/ClothRule.cpp
+++ b/Gems/NvCloth/Code/Source/Pipeline/SceneAPIExt/ClothRule.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,15 @@ namespace NvCloth
             const AZ::SceneAPI::Containers::SceneGraph& graph,
             const size_t numVertices) const
         {
-            const auto meshNodeIndex = graph.Find(GetMeshNodeName());
+            const AZ::SceneAPI::Containers::SceneGraph::NodeIndex meshNodeIndex = [this, &graph]()
+            {
+                if (const auto index = graph.Find(GetMeshNodeName() + AZStd::string(AZ::SceneAPI::Utilities::OptimizedMeshSuffix)); index.IsValid())
+                {
+                    return index;
+                }
+                return graph.Find(GetMeshNodeName());
+            }();
+
             if (!meshNodeIndex.IsValid())
             {
                 return {};