diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/NonUniformMotionData.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/NonUniformMotionData.cpp
index 6ced6152e1..50f3a1f73f 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/NonUniformMotionData.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/NonUniformMotionData.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ namespace EMotionFX
     {
         const Actor* actor = settings.m_actorInstance->GetActor();
         const MotionLinkData* motionLinkData = FindMotionLinkData(actor);
-        const Skeleton* skeleton = actor->GetSkeleton();
 
         const size_t jointDataIndex = motionLinkData->GetJointDataLinks()[jointSkeletonIndex];
         if (m_additive && jointDataIndex == InvalidIndex)
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ namespace EMotionFX
 
         // Sample the interpolated data.
         Transform result;
-        const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && skeleton->GetNode(jointSkeletonIndex)->GetIsRootNode());
+        const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && jointSkeletonIndex == actor->GetMotionExtractionNodeIndex());
         if (jointDataIndex != InvalidIndex && !inPlace)
         {
             const JointData& jointData = m_jointData[jointDataIndex];
@@ -139,14 +138,13 @@ namespace EMotionFX
         const MotionLinkData* motionLinkData = FindMotionLinkData(actor);
        
         const ActorInstance* actorInstance = settings.m_actorInstance;
-        const Skeleton* skeleton = actor->GetSkeleton();
         const Pose* bindPose = actorInstance->GetTransformData()->GetBindPose();
         const size_t numNodes = actorInstance->GetNumEnabledNodes();
         for (size_t i = 0; i < numNodes; ++i)
         {
             const uint16 jointIndex = actorInstance->GetEnabledNode(i);
             const size_t jointDataIndex = motionLinkData->GetJointDataLinks()[jointIndex];
-            const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && skeleton->GetNode(jointIndex)->GetIsRootNode());
+            const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && jointIndex == actor->GetMotionExtractionNodeIndex());
 
             // Sample the interpolated data.
             Transform result;
diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/UniformMotionData.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/UniformMotionData.cpp
index c4451ff902..881604c7ff 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/UniformMotionData.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/EMotionFX/Source/MotionData/UniformMotionData.cpp
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ namespace EMotionFX
         size_t indexB;
         CalculateInterpolationIndicesUniform(settings.m_sampleTime, m_sampleSpacing, m_duration, m_numSamples, indexA, indexB, t);
 
-        const Skeleton* skeleton = actor->GetSkeleton();
-        const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && skeleton->GetNode(jointSkeletonIndex)->GetIsRootNode());
+        const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && jointSkeletonIndex == actor->GetMotionExtractionNodeIndex());
 
         // Sample the interpolated data.
         Transform result;
@@ -210,13 +209,12 @@ namespace EMotionFX
 
         const AZStd::vector<size_t>& jointLinks = motionLinkData->GetJointDataLinks();
         const ActorInstance* actorInstance = settings.m_actorInstance;
-        const Skeleton* skeleton = actor->GetSkeleton();
         const Pose* bindPose = actorInstance->GetTransformData()->GetBindPose();
         const size_t numNodes = actorInstance->GetNumEnabledNodes();
         for (size_t i = 0; i < numNodes; ++i)
         {
             const size_t skeletonJointIndex = actorInstance->GetEnabledNode(i);
-            const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && skeleton->GetNode(skeletonJointIndex)->GetIsRootNode());
+            const bool inPlace = (settings.m_inPlace && skeletonJointIndex == actor->GetMotionExtractionNodeIndex());
 
             // Sample the interpolated data.
             Transform result;
diff --git a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Tests/AnimGraphMotionNodeTests.cpp b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Tests/AnimGraphMotionNodeTests.cpp
index a377495d6c..efff992564 100644
--- a/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Tests/AnimGraphMotionNodeTests.cpp
+++ b/Gems/EMotionFX/Code/Tests/AnimGraphMotionNodeTests.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ namespace EMotionFX
             // Make sure all nodes exist.
             ASSERT_TRUE(rootNode && pelvisNode && lHandNode && lLoArmNode && lLoLegNode && lAnkleNode &&
                 rHandNode && rLoArmNode && rLoLegNode && rAnkleNode) << "All nodes used should exist.";
+
+            m_actor->SetMotionExtractionNodeIndex(m_jackRootIndex);
         }
 
         void SetupMirrorNodes()