diff --git a/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/DllMain.cpp b/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/DllMain.cpp
index d2818f3653..6fd664eee4 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/DllMain.cpp
+++ b/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/DllMain.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ namespace AZ
 extern "C" AZ_DLL_EXPORT void InitializeDynamicModule(void* env)
 {
     AZ::Environment::Attach(static_cast<AZ::EnvironmentInstance>(env));
+    if (!AZ::SceneAPI::FbxSceneBuilder::g_fbxImporter)
+    {
+        AZ::SceneAPI::FbxSceneBuilder::g_fbxImporter = aznew AZ::SceneAPI::FbxSceneImporter::FbxImportRequestHandler();
+        AZ::SceneAPI::FbxSceneBuilder::g_fbxImporter->Activate();
+    }
 }
 extern "C" AZ_DLL_EXPORT void Reflect(AZ::SerializeContext* context)
 {
diff --git a/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/FbxImportRequestHandler.cpp b/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/FbxImportRequestHandler.cpp
index a43f1e16b8..ebdb57e452 100644
--- a/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/FbxImportRequestHandler.cpp
+++ b/Code/Tools/SceneAPI/FbxSceneBuilder/FbxImportRequestHandler.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ namespace AZ
 
             void FbxImportRequestHandler::Activate()
             {
-                auto settingsRegistry = AZ::SettingsRegistry::Get();
-                
-                if (settingsRegistry)
+                if (auto* settingsRegistry = AZ::SettingsRegistry::Get())
                 {
                     settingsRegistry->GetObject(m_settings, "/O3DE/SceneAPI/AssetImporter");
                 }
@@ -70,6 +68,15 @@ namespace AZ
 
             void FbxImportRequestHandler::GetSupportedFileExtensions(AZStd::unordered_set<AZStd::string>& extensions)
             {
+                // It's unlikely an empty file extension list is intentional,
+                // so if it's empty, try reloading it from the registry.
+                if (m_settings.m_supportedFileTypeExtensions.empty())
+                {
+                    if (auto* settingsRegistry = AZ::SettingsRegistry::Get())
+                    {
+                        settingsRegistry->GetObject(m_settings, "/O3DE/SceneAPI/AssetImporter");
+                    }
+                }
                 extensions.insert(m_settings.m_supportedFileTypeExtensions.begin(), m_settings.m_supportedFileTypeExtensions.end());
             }