diff --git a/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/src/openexr.cpp b/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/src/openexr.cpp
index a668c17bd..b660d0653 100644
--- a/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/src/openexr.cpp
+++ b/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/src/openexr.cpp
@@ -500,10 +500,10 @@ void OpenEXRMediaReader::get_channel_names_by_layer(
     const auto &channels       = header.channels();
     for (Imf::ChannelList::ConstIterator i = channels.begin(); i != channels.end(); ++i) {
         const std::string channel_name = i.name();
-        const size_t dot_pos           = channel_name.find(".");
+        const size_t dot_pos           = channel_name.rfind(".");
         if (dot_pos != std::string::npos && dot_pos) {
-            // channel name has a dot separator - assume prefix is the 'layer' name which
-            // we shall assign as a separate MediaStream
+            // OpenEXR layer names may themselves contain dots. The final token is the
+            // channel component, so retain the full prefix as the MediaStream name.
             std::string layer_name = std::string(channel_name, 0, dot_pos);
             channel_names_by_layer[partname + layer_name].push_back(channel_name);
         } else {
@@ -540,9 +540,11 @@ void OpenEXRMediaReader::stream_ids_from_exr_part(
         // make sure RGBA layer is first Stream
         stream_ids.emplace_back("RGBA");
     } else {
-        // optherwise look for a layer matching *.rgb to pick as the first one
+        // Otherwise prefer conventional RGB layers or Blender's Combined beauty pass.
         for (auto p = channel_names_by_layer.begin(); p != channel_names_by_layer.end(); ++p) {
-            if (utility::to_lower(p->first).find(".rgb") != std::string::npos) {
+            const std::string layer_name = utility::to_lower(p->first);
+            if (layer_name.find(".rgb") != std::string::npos ||
+                layer_name.ends_with(".combined") || layer_name == "combined") {
                 stream_ids.emplace_back(p->first);
                 channel_names_by_layer.erase(p);
                 break;
@@ -613,13 +615,22 @@ std::array<Imf::PixelType, 4> OpenEXRMediaReader::pick_exr_channels_from_stream_
             }
         });
 
+    // The image buffer and shader support at most four interleaved channels. Keep
+    // malformed or unconventional layers from overrunning the fixed pixel type array.
+    if (exr_channels_to_load.size() > 4) {
+        exr_channels_to_load.resize(4);
+    }
 
     // At the moment we can handle either all channels are float 16 or all channels
     // are float 32 - we can't have a mix of channel types
 
     const auto &channels = header.channels();
 
-    std::array<Imf::PixelType, 4> pix_type;
+    std::array<Imf::PixelType, 4> pix_type{
+        static_cast<Imf::PixelType>(-1),
+        static_cast<Imf::PixelType>(-1),
+        static_cast<Imf::PixelType>(-1),
+        static_cast<Imf::PixelType>(-1)};
 
     // fetch the channel type for each of the channels we will load
     int ii = 0;
@@ -953,4 +964,4 @@ PixelInfo OpenEXRMediaReader::exr_buffer_pixel_picker(
     }
 
     return r;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/test/openexr_test.cpp b/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/test/openexr_test.cpp
index 26684e1ef..1c3adf73f 100644
--- a/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/test/openexr_test.cpp
+++ b/src/plugin/media_reader/openexr/test/openexr_test.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #include "xstudio/utility/caf_helpers.hpp"
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 
+#include <vector>
+
 using namespace xstudio;
 using namespace xstudio::utility;
 using namespace xstudio::media_reader;
@@ -35,3 +37,58 @@ TEST(OpenEXRMediaReaderTest, Test) {
 
     EXPECT_TRUE(got_image) << "Should be supported";
 }
+
+TEST(OpenEXRMediaReaderTest, BlenderMultilayerSinglePart) {
+    OpenEXRMediaReader reader;
+    const caf::uri uri =
+        posix_path_to_uri(TEST_RESOURCE "/media/blender_multilayer.exr");
+    media::MediaDetail detail;
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(detail = reader.detail(uri));
+
+    std::vector<std::string> stream_names;
+    for (const auto &stream : detail.streams_) {
+        stream_names.emplace_back(stream.name_);
+    }
+    EXPECT_EQ(
+        stream_names,
+        (std::vector<std::string>{
+            "beauty.Combined",
+            "beauty.CryptoAsset00",
+            "beauty.CryptoAsset01",
+            "beauty.CryptoAsset02",
+            "beauty.CryptoMaterial00",
+            "beauty.CryptoMaterial01",
+            "beauty.CryptoMaterial02",
+            "beauty.CryptoObject00",
+            "beauty.CryptoObject01",
+            "beauty.CryptoObject02",
+            "beauty.Depth",
+            "beauty.Emission",
+            "beauty.Noisy Image",
+            "volume_high.Combined",
+            "volume_high.Noisy Image",
+            "volume_low.Combined",
+            "volume_low.Noisy Image"}));
+
+    const media::AVFrameID frame(
+        uri,
+        1,
+        1,
+        media::FS_ON_DISK,
+        0,
+        1.0f,
+        utility::FrameRate(timebase::k_flicks_24fps),
+        "beauty.Combined");
+    ImageBufPtr image;
+    ASSERT_NO_THROW(image = reader.image(frame));
+
+    ASSERT_TRUE(image);
+    EXPECT_EQ(image->shader_params()["num_channels"].get<int>(), 4);
+    EXPECT_EQ(
+        image->params()["channel_names"].get<std::vector<std::string>>(),
+        (std::vector<std::string>{
+            "beauty.Combined.R",
+            "beauty.Combined.G",
+            "beauty.Combined.B",
+            "beauty.Combined.A"}));
+}
diff --git a/test_resource/media/blender_multilayer.exr b/test_resource/media/blender_multilayer.exr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be2ad09d8
Binary files /dev/null and b/test_resource/media/blender_multilayer.exr differ