diff --git a/misc/extension_api_validation/4.2-stable.expected b/misc/extension_api_validation/4.2-stable.expected
index e8195d0aa08..9384ca62993 100644
--- a/misc/extension_api_validation/4.2-stable.expected
+++ b/misc/extension_api_validation/4.2-stable.expected
@@ -263,9 +263,6 @@ Removed VisualShaderNodeComment, which is replaced by VisualShaderNodeFrame.
 
 GH-87888
 --------
-Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/OpenXRHand/methods/get_hand_skeleton
-Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/OpenXRHand/methods/set_hand_skeleton
-Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/OpenXRHand/properties/hand_skeleton
 Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/Skeleton3D/properties/animate_physical_bones
 Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/SkeletonIK3D/methods/get_interpolation
 Validate extension JSON: API was removed: classes/SkeletonIK3D/methods/set_interpolation
diff --git a/modules/openxr/doc_classes/OpenXRHand.xml b/modules/openxr/doc_classes/OpenXRHand.xml
index 9cc548dd6f2..23d932ddd75 100644
--- a/modules/openxr/doc_classes/OpenXRHand.xml
+++ b/modules/openxr/doc_classes/OpenXRHand.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
-<class name="OpenXRHand" inherits="SkeletonModifier3D" deprecated="Use [XRHandModifier3D] instead." xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="../../../doc/class.xsd">
+<class name="OpenXRHand" inherits="Node3D" deprecated="Use [XRHandModifier3D] instead." xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="../../../doc/class.xsd">
 	<brief_description>
 		Node supporting hand and finger tracking in OpenXR.
 	</brief_description>
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@
 		<member name="hand" type="int" setter="set_hand" getter="get_hand" enum="OpenXRHand.Hands" default="0">
 			Specifies whether this node tracks the left or right hand of the player.
 		</member>
+		<member name="hand_skeleton" type="NodePath" setter="set_hand_skeleton" getter="get_hand_skeleton" default="NodePath(&quot;&quot;)">
+			Set a [Skeleton3D] node for which the pose positions will be updated.
+		</member>
 		<member name="motion_range" type="int" setter="set_motion_range" getter="get_motion_range" enum="OpenXRHand.MotionRange" default="0">
 			Set the motion range (if supported) limiting the hand motion.
 		</member>
 		<member name="skeleton_rig" type="int" setter="set_skeleton_rig" getter="get_skeleton_rig" enum="OpenXRHand.SkeletonRig" default="0">
-			Set the type of skeleton rig the parent [Skeleton3D] is compliant with.
+			Set the type of skeleton rig the [member hand_skeleton] is compliant with.
 		</member>
 	</members>
 	<constants>
diff --git a/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.cpp b/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.cpp
index f20d1f8e19b..2a4104f6eef 100644
--- a/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.cpp
+++ b/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ void OpenXRHand::_bind_methods() {
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("set_hand", "hand"), &OpenXRHand::set_hand);
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_hand"), &OpenXRHand::get_hand);
 
+	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("set_hand_skeleton", "hand_skeleton"), &OpenXRHand::set_hand_skeleton);
+	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_hand_skeleton"), &OpenXRHand::get_hand_skeleton);
+
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("set_motion_range", "motion_range"), &OpenXRHand::set_motion_range);
 	ClassDB::bind_method(D_METHOD("get_motion_range"), &OpenXRHand::get_motion_range);
 
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ void OpenXRHand::_bind_methods() {
 
 	ADD_PROPERTY(PropertyInfo(Variant::INT, "hand", PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "Left,Right"), "set_hand", "get_hand");
 	ADD_PROPERTY(PropertyInfo(Variant::INT, "motion_range", PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "Unobstructed,Conform to controller"), "set_motion_range", "get_motion_range");
+	ADD_PROPERTY(PropertyInfo(Variant::NODE_PATH, "hand_skeleton", PROPERTY_HINT_NODE_PATH_VALID_TYPES, "Skeleton3D"), "set_hand_skeleton", "get_hand_skeleton");
 	ADD_PROPERTY(PropertyInfo(Variant::INT, "skeleton_rig", PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "OpenXR,Humanoid"), "set_skeleton_rig", "get_skeleton_rig");
 	ADD_PROPERTY(PropertyInfo(Variant::INT, "bone_update", PROPERTY_HINT_ENUM, "Full,Rotation Only"), "set_bone_update", "get_bone_update");
 
@@ -86,6 +90,12 @@ OpenXRHand::Hands OpenXRHand::get_hand() const {
 	return hand;
 }
 
+void OpenXRHand::set_hand_skeleton(const NodePath &p_hand_skeleton) {
+	hand_skeleton = p_hand_skeleton;
+
+	// TODO if inside tree call _get_bones()
+}
+
 void OpenXRHand::set_motion_range(MotionRange p_motion_range) {
 	ERR_FAIL_INDEX(p_motion_range, MOTION_RANGE_MAX);
 	motion_range = p_motion_range;
@@ -97,6 +107,10 @@ OpenXRHand::MotionRange OpenXRHand::get_motion_range() const {
 	return motion_range;
 }
 
+NodePath OpenXRHand::get_hand_skeleton() const {
+	return hand_skeleton;
+}
+
 void OpenXRHand::_set_motion_range() {
 	if (!hand_tracking_ext) {
 		return;
@@ -138,6 +152,20 @@ OpenXRHand::BoneUpdate OpenXRHand::get_bone_update() const {
 	return bone_update;
 }
 
+Skeleton3D *OpenXRHand::get_skeleton() {
+	if (!has_node(hand_skeleton)) {
+		return nullptr;
+	}
+
+	Node *node = get_node(hand_skeleton);
+	if (!node) {
+		return nullptr;
+	}
+
+	Skeleton3D *skeleton = Object::cast_to<Skeleton3D>(node);
+	return skeleton;
+}
+
 void OpenXRHand::_get_joint_data() {
 	// Table of bone names for different rig types.
 	static const String bone_names[SKELETON_RIG_MAX][XR_HAND_JOINT_COUNT_EXT] = {
@@ -262,7 +290,7 @@ void OpenXRHand::_get_joint_data() {
 	}
 }
 
-void OpenXRHand::_process_modification() {
+void OpenXRHand::_update_skeleton() {
 	if (openxr_api == nullptr || !openxr_api->is_initialized()) {
 		return;
 	} else if (hand_tracking_ext == nullptr || !hand_tracking_ext->get_active()) {
@@ -367,14 +395,21 @@ void OpenXRHand::_notification(int p_what) {
 	switch (p_what) {
 		case NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE: {
 			_get_joint_data();
+
+			set_process_internal(true);
 		} break;
 		case NOTIFICATION_EXIT_TREE: {
+			set_process_internal(false);
+
 			// reset
 			for (int i = 0; i < XR_HAND_JOINT_COUNT_EXT; i++) {
 				joints[i].bone = -1;
 				joints[i].parent_joint = -1;
 			}
 		} break;
+		case NOTIFICATION_INTERNAL_PROCESS: {
+			_update_skeleton();
+		} break;
 		default: {
 		} break;
 	}
diff --git a/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.h b/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.h
index fc0a994f488..4c77e7277c8 100644
--- a/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.h
+++ b/modules/openxr/scene/openxr_hand.h
@@ -31,15 +31,16 @@
 #ifndef OPENXR_HAND_H
 #define OPENXR_HAND_H
 
-#include "scene/3d/skeleton_modifier_3d.h"
+#include "scene/3d/node_3d.h"
+#include "scene/3d/skeleton_3d.h"
 
 #include <openxr/openxr.h>
 
 class OpenXRAPI;
 class OpenXRHandTrackingExtension;
 
-class OpenXRHand : public SkeletonModifier3D {
-	GDCLASS(OpenXRHand, SkeletonModifier3D);
+class OpenXRHand : public Node3D {
+	GDCLASS(OpenXRHand, Node3D);
 
 public:
 	enum Hands { // Deprecated, need to change this to OpenXRInterface::Hands.
@@ -85,13 +86,13 @@ private:
 
 	void _set_motion_range();
 
+	Skeleton3D *get_skeleton();
 	void _get_joint_data();
+	void _update_skeleton();
 
 protected:
 	static void _bind_methods();
 
-	virtual void _process_modification() override;
-
 public:
 	OpenXRHand();
 
@@ -101,6 +102,9 @@ public:
 	void set_motion_range(MotionRange p_motion_range);
 	MotionRange get_motion_range() const;
 
+	void set_hand_skeleton(const NodePath &p_hand_skeleton);
+	NodePath get_hand_skeleton() const;
+
 	void set_skeleton_rig(SkeletonRig p_skeleton_rig);
 	SkeletonRig get_skeleton_rig() const;