diff --git a/source/blender/editors/io/io_usd.c b/source/blender/editors/io/io_usd.c
index 580fd23a427..9494740f810 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/io/io_usd.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/io/io_usd.c
@@ -422,6 +422,10 @@ static int wm_usd_import_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   const bool validate_meshes = false;
   const bool use_instancing = false;
 
+  if (import_materials) {
+    mesh_read_flag |= MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_MAT_FACE_SETS;
+  }
+
   const eUSDTexImportMode import_textures_mode = RNA_enum_get(op->ptr, "import_textures_mode");
 
   char import_textures_dir[FILE_MAXDIR];
diff --git a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_reader_mesh.cc b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_reader_mesh.cc
index fd4b80b9137..072b537ce68 100644
--- a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_reader_mesh.cc
+++ b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_reader_mesh.cc
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ Mesh *USDMeshReader::read_mesh(Mesh *existing_mesh,
      * the material slots that were created when the object was loaded from
      * USD are still valid now. */
     MutableSpan<MPoly> polys = active_mesh->polys_for_write();
-    if (!polys.is_empty() && import_params_.import_materials) {
+    if (!polys.is_empty() && read_flag & MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_MAT_FACE_SETS) {
       std::map<pxr::SdfPath, int> mat_map;
       bke::MutableAttributeAccessor attributes = active_mesh->attributes_for_write();
       bke::SpanAttributeWriter<int> material_indices =
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_defaults.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_defaults.h
index 44644d7eb78..2ce17429b90 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_defaults.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_defaults.h
@@ -401,7 +401,8 @@
     .cache_file = NULL, \
     .object_path = "", \
     .read_flag = MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_VERT | MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_POLY | MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_UV | \
-                 MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_COLOR | MOD_MESHSEQ_INTERPOLATE_VERTICES, \
+                 MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_COLOR | MOD_MESHSEQ_INTERPOLATE_VERTICES | \
+                 MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_MAT_FACE_SETS, \
     .velocity_scale = 1.0f, \
     .reader = NULL, \
     .reader_object_path = "", \
diff --git a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h
index 7af83f8f888..0582abf47ca 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h
+++ b/source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h
@@ -2215,6 +2215,10 @@ enum {
    * the mesh topology changes, but this heuristic sometimes fails. In these cases, users can
    * disable interpolation with this flag. */
   MOD_MESHSEQ_INTERPOLATE_VERTICES = (1 << 4),
+
+  /* Whether or not to read material face sets.  This flag currently applies when loading USD
+   * files only, since the Alembic mesh importer always reads material face sets by default. */
+  MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_MAT_FACE_SETS = (1 << 5),
 };
 
 typedef struct SDefBind {
diff --git a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c
index b86e202a791..c9fc2286e57 100644
--- a/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c
+++ b/source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c
@@ -6179,6 +6179,13 @@ static void rna_def_modifier_meshseqcache(BlenderRNA *brna)
       prop, "Vertex Interpolation", "Allow interpolation of vertex positions");
   RNA_def_property_update(prop, 0, "rna_Modifier_update");
 
+  prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "read_mat_face_sets", PROP_BOOLEAN, PROP_NONE);
+  RNA_def_property_boolean_sdna(prop, NULL, "read_flag", MOD_MESHSEQ_READ_MAT_FACE_SETS);
+  RNA_def_property_ui_text(prop,
+                           "Read Material Face Sets",
+                           "Allow reading of material face sets (applies to USD files only)");
+  RNA_def_property_update(prop, 0, "rna_Modifier_update");
+
   prop = RNA_def_property(srna, "velocity_scale", PROP_FLOAT, PROP_NONE);
   RNA_def_property_float_sdna(prop, NULL, "velocity_scale");
   RNA_def_property_range(prop, 0.0f, FLT_MAX);