diff --git a/source/blender/io/common/intern/abstract_hierarchy_iterator.cc b/source/blender/io/common/intern/abstract_hierarchy_iterator.cc
index 0d9ab9123a2..9cf817167ef 100644
--- a/source/blender/io/common/intern/abstract_hierarchy_iterator.cc
+++ b/source/blender/io/common/intern/abstract_hierarchy_iterator.cc
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ void AbstractHierarchyIterator::make_writers(const HierarchyContext *parent_cont
     if (!transform_writer) {
       /* Unable to export, so there is nothing to attach any children to; just abort this entire
        * branch of the export hierarchy. */
-      return;
+      continue;
     }
 
     const bool need_writers = context->is_point_proto || (!context->is_point_instance &&
diff --git a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.cc b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.cc
index d7fee9724b1..ab19732e76d 100644
--- a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.cc
+++ b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.cc
@@ -149,23 +149,22 @@ USDExporterContext USDHierarchyIterator::create_usd_export_context(const Hierarc
   return exporter_context;
 }
 
-void USDHierarchyIterator::determine_point_instancers(const HierarchyContext *context)
+bool USDHierarchyIterator::determine_point_instancers(const HierarchyContext *context)
 {
   if (!context) {
-    return;
+    return true;
   }
 
   if (context->object->type == OB_ARMATURE) {
-    return;
+    return true;
   }
 
+  bool is_referencing_self = false;
   if (context->is_point_instancer()) {
     /* Mark the point instancer's children as a point instance. */
     USDExporterContext usd_export_context = create_usd_export_context(context);
     const ExportChildren *children = graph_children(context);
 
-    bool is_referencing_self = false;
-
     pxr::SdfPath instancer_path;
     if (!params_.root_prim_path.empty()) {
       instancer_path = pxr::SdfPath(params_.root_prim_path + context->export_path);
@@ -243,6 +242,8 @@ void USDHierarchyIterator::determine_point_instancers(const HierarchyContext *co
       }
     }
   }
+
+  return !is_referencing_self;
 }
 
 AbstractHierarchyWriter *USDHierarchyIterator::create_transform_writer(
@@ -251,7 +252,12 @@ AbstractHierarchyWriter *USDHierarchyIterator::create_transform_writer(
   /* The transform writer is always called before data writers,
    * so determine if the #Xform's children is a point instancer before writing data. */
   if (params_.use_instancing) {
-    determine_point_instancers(context);
+    if (!determine_point_instancers(context)) {
+      /* If we could not determine that our point instancing setup is safe, we should not continue
+       * writing. Continuing would result in enormous amounts of USD warnings about cyclic
+       * references. */
+      return nullptr;
+    }
   }
 
   return new USDTransformWriter(create_usd_export_context(context));
diff --git a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.hh b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.hh
index 32f9a95886b..2d25b091396 100644
--- a/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.hh
+++ b/source/blender/io/usd/intern/usd_hierarchy_iterator.hh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class USDHierarchyIterator : public AbstractHierarchyIterator {
 
  protected:
   bool mark_as_weak_export(const Object *object) const override;
-  void determine_point_instancers(const HierarchyContext *context);
+  bool determine_point_instancers(const HierarchyContext *context);
 
   AbstractHierarchyWriter *create_transform_writer(const HierarchyContext *context) override;
   AbstractHierarchyWriter *create_data_writer(const HierarchyContext *context) override;