diff --git a/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/__init__.py b/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/__init__.py
index 557dd1182c2..e9107a10281 100755
--- a/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/__init__.py
+++ b/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/__init__.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 bl_info = {
     'name': 'glTF 2.0 format',
     'author': 'Julien Duroure, Scurest, Norbert Nopper, Urs Hanselmann, Moritz Becher, Benjamin Schmithüsen, Jim Eckerlein, and many external contributors',
-    "version": (4, 4, 53),
+    "version": (4, 4, 54),
     'blender': (4, 4, 0),
     'location': 'File > Import-Export',
     'description': 'Import-Export as glTF 2.0',
diff --git a/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/blender/exp/animation/action.py b/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/blender/exp/animation/action.py
index 15a0a8fe933..e8130878f02 100644
--- a/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/blender/exp/animation/action.py
+++ b/scripts/addons_core/io_scene_gltf2/blender/exp/animation/action.py
@@ -496,7 +496,9 @@ def gather_action_animations(obj_uuid: int,
             if on_type == "OBJECT":  # Not for shapekeys!
                 if blender_object.animation_data.action is None \
                         or (blender_object.animation_data.action.name != blender_action.name) \
+                        or (blender_object.animation_data.action_slot is None) \
                         or (blender_object.animation_data.action_slot.handle != slot.slot.handle):
+
                     if blender_object.animation_data.is_property_readonly('action'):
                         blender_object.animation_data.use_tweak_mode = False
                     try: