diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/prim.h b/pxr/usd/usd/prim.h
index c47bff6a888..01ba29a677c 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/prim.h
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/prim.h
@@ -289,6 +289,12 @@ class UsdPrim : public UsdObject
         return _Prim()->HasDefiningSpecifier(); 
     }
 
+    /// Return true if this prim has a specifier of type SdfSpecifierClass. 
+    /// \sa SdfIsAbstractSpecifier
+    bool HasAbstractSpecifier() const {
+        return _Prim()->HasAbstractSpecifier();
+    }
+
     /// Return a vector containing the names of API schemas which have
     /// been applied to this prim.
     ///
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/primData.cpp b/pxr/usd/usd/primData.cpp
index 92e82829e9f..1c7a15f3677 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/primData.cpp
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/primData.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ Usd_PrimData::_ComposeAndCacheFlags(Usd_PrimDataConstPtr parent,
         _flags[Usd_PrimComponentFlag] = false;
         _flags[Usd_PrimDefinedFlag] = true;
         _flags[Usd_PrimHasDefiningSpecifierFlag] = true;
+        _flags[Usd_PrimHasAbstractSpecifierFlag] = false;
         _flags[Usd_PrimPrototypeFlag] = isPrototypePrim;
         _flags[Usd_PrimPseudoRootFlag] = !parent;
     } 
@@ -154,14 +155,18 @@ Usd_PrimData::_ComposeAndCacheFlags(Usd_PrimDataConstPtr parent,
         // Get specifier.
         const SdfSpecifier specifier = GetSpecifier();
 
+        bool isClassSpecifier = specifier == SdfSpecifierClass;
         // This prim is abstract if its parent is or if it's a class.
         _flags[Usd_PrimAbstractFlag] =
-            parent->IsAbstract() || specifier == SdfSpecifierClass;
+            parent->IsAbstract() || isClassSpecifier;
 
         // Cache whether or not this prim has an authored defining specifier.
         const bool isDefiningSpec = SdfIsDefiningSpecifier(specifier);
         _flags[Usd_PrimHasDefiningSpecifierFlag] = isDefiningSpec;
 
+        // Cache whether or not this prim has an authored abstract specifier.
+        _flags[Usd_PrimHasAbstractSpecifierFlag] = isClassSpecifier;
+
         // This prim is defined if its parent is and its specifier is defining.
         _flags[Usd_PrimDefinedFlag] = isDefiningSpec && parent->IsDefined();
 
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/primData.h b/pxr/usd/usd/primData.h
index 04c9591d6a6..9b457f29131 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/primData.h
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/primData.h
@@ -125,6 +125,12 @@ class Usd_PrimData
         return _flags[Usd_PrimHasDefiningSpecifierFlag]; 
     }
 
+    /// Return true if this prim has a specifier of type SdfSpecifierClass. 
+    /// \sa SdfIsAbstractSpecifier
+    bool HasAbstractSpecifier() const {
+        return _flags[Usd_PrimHasAbstractSpecifierFlag];
+    }
+
     /// Return true if this prim has one or more payload composition arcs.
     bool HasPayload() const { return _flags[Usd_PrimHasPayloadFlag]; }
 
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/primFlags.h b/pxr/usd/usd/primFlags.h
index efb1b2cd01c..e0d74ea1d55 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/primFlags.h
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/primFlags.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ enum Usd_PrimFlags {
     Usd_PrimDefinedFlag,
     Usd_PrimHasDefiningSpecifierFlag,
     Usd_PrimInstanceFlag,
+    Usd_PrimHasAbstractSpecifierFlag,
 
     // Flags for internal use.
     Usd_PrimHasPayloadFlag,
@@ -489,6 +490,8 @@ extern unspecified UsdPrimIsDefined;
 extern unspecified UsdPrimIsInstance;
 /// Tests UsdPrim::HasDefiningSpecifier()
 extern unspecified UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier;
+/// Tests UsdPrim::HasAbstractSpecifier()
+extern unspecified UsdPrimHasAbstractSpecifier;
 
 /// The default predicate used for prim traversals in methods like
 /// UsdPrim::GetChildren, UsdStage::Traverse, and by UsdPrimRange.
@@ -520,6 +523,8 @@ static const Usd_PrimFlags UsdPrimIsDefined = Usd_PrimDefinedFlag;
 static const Usd_PrimFlags UsdPrimIsInstance = Usd_PrimInstanceFlag;
 static const Usd_PrimFlags UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier 
     = Usd_PrimHasDefiningSpecifierFlag;
+static const Usd_PrimFlags UsdPrimHasAbstractSpecifier 
+    = Usd_PrimHasAbstractSpecifierFlag;
 
 USD_API extern const Usd_PrimFlagsConjunction UsdPrimDefaultPredicate;
 USD_API extern const Usd_PrimFlagsPredicate UsdPrimAllPrimsPredicate;
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange.py b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange.py
index 24bba2010d5..4277b303eb4 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange.py
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange.py
@@ -72,6 +72,35 @@ def test_PrimHasDefiningSpecifier(self):
                         ['/c1', '/c1/c2', '/c1/c2/c3']]
             self.assertEqual(actual, expected)
 
+    def test_PrimHasAbstractSpecifier(self):
+        for fmt in allFormats:
+            stageFile = 'testHasAbstractSpecifier.' + fmt
+            stage = Usd.Stage.Open(stageFile)
+
+            root = stage.GetPrimAtPath('/a1')
+            actual = []
+            expected = [stage.GetPrimAtPath(x) for x in ['/a1/a2']]
+            for prim in Usd.PrimRange.AllPrims(root):
+                if prim.HasAbstractSpecifier():
+                    actual.append(prim)
+            self.assertEqual(actual, expected)
+
+            root = stage.GetPrimAtPath('/b1')
+            actual = []
+            expected = [stage.GetPrimAtPath(x) for x in 
+                        ['/b1/b2', '/b1/b2/b3/b4/b5/b6']]
+            for prim in Usd.PrimRange(root, Usd.PrimIsActive):
+                if prim.HasAbstractSpecifier():
+                    actual.append(prim)
+            self.assertEqual(actual, expected)
+
+            # Note that the over is not included in our traversal.
+            root = stage.GetPrimAtPath('/c1')
+            actual = list(Usd.PrimRange(root, Usd.PrimHasAbstractSpecifier))
+            expected = [stage.GetPrimAtPath(x) for x in 
+                        ['/c1', '/c1/c2', '/c1/c2/c3']]
+            self.assertEqual(actual, expected)         
+
     def test_PrimIsActive(self):
         for fmt in allFormats:
             s = Usd.Stage.CreateInMemory('TestPrimIsActive.'+fmt)
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usda b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usda
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d8ae5ac134c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usda
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#usda 1.0
+
+def "a1"
+{
+    class "a2" 
+    {
+        over "a3"
+        {
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+over "b1" 
+{
+    class "b2"
+    {
+        over "b3"
+        {
+            over "b4"
+            {
+                over "b5" 
+                {
+                    class "b6" 
+                    {
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+class "c1" 
+{
+    class "c2"
+    {
+        class "c3"
+        {
+            over "c4"
+            {
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usdc b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usdc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bc54a8fc270
Binary files /dev/null and b/pxr/usd/usd/testenv/testUsdPrimRange/testHasAbstractSpecifier.usdc differ
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrim.cpp b/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrim.cpp
index c217ecc328e..135a508af53 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrim.cpp
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrim.cpp
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ void wrapUsdPrim()
         .def("IsAbstract", &UsdPrim::IsAbstract)
         .def("IsDefined", &UsdPrim::IsDefined)
         .def("HasDefiningSpecifier", &UsdPrim::HasDefiningSpecifier)
+        .def("HasAbstractSpecifier", &UsdPrim::HasAbstractSpecifier)
 
         .def("GetPropertyNames", &_WrapGetPropertyNames,
              (arg("predicate")=pxr_boost::python::object()),
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrimFlags.cpp b/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrimFlags.cpp
index 67ee1d892de..4c18cf61991 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrimFlags.cpp
+++ b/pxr/usd/usd/wrapPrimFlags.cpp
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ void wrapUsdPrimFlags()
     scope().attr("PrimIsInstance") = Usd_Term(UsdPrimIsInstance);
     scope().attr("PrimHasDefiningSpecifier") 
         = Usd_Term(UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier);
+    scope().attr("PrimHasAbstractSpecifier") 
+        = Usd_Term(UsdPrimHasAbstractSpecifier);
 
     scope().attr("PrimDefaultPredicate") = UsdPrimDefaultPredicate;
     scope().attr("PrimAllPrimsPredicate") = UsdPrimAllPrimsPredicate;
diff --git a/pxr/usd/usdGeom/pointInstancer.h b/pxr/usd/usdGeom/pointInstancer.h
index 2ce27043de5..f91e1b841e5 100644
--- a/pxr/usd/usdGeom/pointInstancer.h
+++ b/pxr/usd/usdGeom/pointInstancer.h
@@ -234,11 +234,13 @@ class SdfAssetPath;
 /// \ref Usd_PrimSpecifiers "specifier" of "def", "over", or "class".  The
 /// default traversals skip over prims that are "pure overs" or classes.  So
 /// to protect prototypes from all generic traversals and processing, place
-/// them under a prim that is just an "over".  For example,
+/// them under a prim that is an "class" or "over". "class" is recommended
+/// , while "over" should be used when backwards compatibility with older
+/// versions of USD is needed. For example,
 /// \code
 /// 01 def PointInstancer "Crowd_Mid"
 /// 02 {
-/// 03     rel prototypes = [ </Crowd_Mid/Prototypes/MaleThin_Business>, </Crowd_Mid/Prototypes/MaleThin_Casual> ]
+/// 03     rel prototypes = [ </Crowd_Mid/Prototypes/MaleThin_Business>, </Crowd_Mid/OtherPrototypes/MaleThin_Casual> ]
 /// 04     
 /// 05     over "Prototypes" 
 /// 06     {
@@ -250,11 +252,14 @@ class SdfAssetPath;
 /// 12              }
 /// 13          )
 /// 14          { ... }
-/// 15          
-/// 16          def "MaleThin_Casual"
-/// 17          ...
-/// 18     }
-/// 19 }
+/// 15     }
+/// 16
+/// 17     class "OtherPrototypes"
+/// 18     {
+/// 19          def "MaleThin_Casual"
+/// 20          ...
+/// 21     }
+/// 22 }
 /// \endcode
 /// 
 ///
diff --git a/pxr/usdImaging/usdImaging/delegate.cpp b/pxr/usdImaging/usdImaging/delegate.cpp
index 34ed534f93f..e05c3db9f90 100644
--- a/pxr/usdImaging/usdImaging/delegate.cpp
+++ b/pxr/usdImaging/usdImaging/delegate.cpp
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ Usd_PrimFlagsConjunction
 UsdImagingDelegate::_GetDisplayPredicateForPrototypes() const
 {
     return _displayUnloadedPrimsWithBounds ?
-        UsdPrimIsActive && UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier && !UsdPrimIsAbstract :
-        UsdPrimIsActive && UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier && !UsdPrimIsAbstract
+        UsdPrimIsActive && UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier && !UsdPrimHasAbstractSpecifier :
+        UsdPrimIsActive && UsdPrimHasDefiningSpecifier && !UsdPrimHasAbstractSpecifier
             && UsdPrimIsLoaded;
 }