diff --git a/src/ObjCommon/XModel/XModelCommon.h b/src/ObjCommon/XModel/XModelCommon.h
index 46ebf3bb..04718be2 100644
--- a/src/ObjCommon/XModel/XModelCommon.h
+++ b/src/ObjCommon/XModel/XModelCommon.h
@@ -132,5 +132,7 @@ typedef DistinctMapper<VertexMergerPos> VertexMerger;
 
 namespace xmodel
 {
+    constexpr auto DEFAULT_XMODEL_ROOT_BONE_NAME = "";
+
     std::string GetJsonFileNameForAssetName(const std::string& assetName);
-}
+} // namespace xmodel
diff --git a/src/ObjLoading/XModel/LoaderXModel.cpp.template b/src/ObjLoading/XModel/LoaderXModel.cpp.template
index 6188cf0a..b23fbd2b 100644
--- a/src/ObjLoading/XModel/LoaderXModel.cpp.template
+++ b/src/ObjLoading/XModel/LoaderXModel.cpp.template
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ namespace
             assert(common.m_vertex_bone_weights.size() == common.m_vertices.size());
 
             XModelBone rootBone{
-                .name = jXModel.rootBoneName.value_or("root"),
+                .name = jXModel.rootBoneName.value_or(xmodel::DEFAULT_XMODEL_ROOT_BONE_NAME),
                 .parentIndex = std::nullopt,
                 .scale = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f},
                 .globalOffset = {0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f},
diff --git a/src/ObjWriting/XModel/XModelDumper.cpp.template b/src/ObjWriting/XModel/XModelDumper.cpp.template
index 0c5038ba..9b0b1bba 100644
--- a/src/ObjWriting/XModel/XModelDumper.cpp.template
+++ b/src/ObjWriting/XModel/XModelDumper.cpp.template
@@ -797,8 +797,11 @@ namespace
         
         if (!model.boneNames || model.boneNames[0] >= context.m_zone.m_script_strings.Count() || model.numRootBones == 0)
             return;
+            
+        const auto& rootBoneName = context.m_zone.m_script_strings[model.boneNames[0]];
         
-        jXModel.rootBoneName = context.m_zone.m_script_strings[model.boneNames[0]];
+        if (rootBoneName != xmodel::DEFAULT_XMODEL_ROOT_BONE_NAME)
+            jXModel.rootBoneName = rootBoneName;
     }
     
     void CreateJsonXModel(AssetDumpingContext& context, JsonXModel& jXModel, const XModel& model)