diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator.java
index 8739f9fd89..a933d4d7a2 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator.java
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public class PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator
          * could still be converted by the configurator so we leave those alone). If so, back off to evaluating the
          * expression from properties only.
          */
-        if ( value != null && type != null && !( value instanceof String ) && !type.isInstance( value ) )
+        if ( value != null && type != null && !( value instanceof String ) && !isTypeCompatible( type, value ) )
         {
             value = null;
         }
@@ -359,6 +359,24 @@ public class PluginParameterExpressionEvaluator
         return value;
     }
 
+    private static boolean isTypeCompatible( Class<?> type, Object value )
+    {
+        if ( type.isInstance( value ) )
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+        else if ( ( type.isPrimitive() || type.getName().startsWith( "java.lang." ) )
+            && value.getClass().getName().startsWith( "java.lang." ) )
+        {
+            // likely Boolean -> boolean, Short -> int etc. conversions, it's not the problem case we try to avoid
+            return true;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     private String stripTokens( String expr )
     {
         if ( expr.startsWith( "${" ) && ( expr.indexOf( "}" ) == expr.length() - 1 ) )