diff --git a/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelBuilderResult.java b/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelBuilderResult.java
index fcaf26b81d..4033aa2371 100644
--- a/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelBuilderResult.java
+++ b/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelBuilderResult.java
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ public interface ModelBuilderResult {
 
     /**
      * Gets the sequence of model identifiers that denote the lineage of models from which the effective model was
-     * constructed. Model identifiers have the form {@code <groupId>:<artifactId>:<version>}. The first identifier from
-     * the list denotes the model on which the model builder was originally invoked. The last identifier will always be
-     * an empty string that by definition denotes the super POM.
+     * constructed. Model identifiers should be handled as "opaque strings" and this method should be used as source
+     * if navigating the linage. The first identifier from the list denotes the model on which the model builder
+     * was originally invoked. The last identifier will always be the super POM.
      *
      * @return The model identifiers from the lineage of models, never {@code null}.
      */
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ public interface ModelBuilderResult {
     /**
      * Gets the specified raw model as it was read from a model source. Apart from basic validation, a raw model has not
      * undergone any updates by the model builder, e.g. reflects neither inheritance nor interpolation. The model
-     * identifier should be from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}. As a special case, an empty string
-     * can be used as the identifier for the super POM.
+     * identifier should be from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}.
      *
+     * @see #getModelIds()
      * @param modelId The identifier of the desired raw model, must not be {@code null}.
      * @return The raw model or {@code null} if the specified model id does not refer to a known model.
      */
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ public interface ModelBuilderResult {
 
     /**
      * Gets the profiles from the specified model that were active during model building. The model identifier should be
-     * from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}. As a special case, an empty string can be used as the
-     * identifier for the super POM.
+     * from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}.
      *
+     * @see #getModelIds()
      * @param modelId The identifier of the model whose active profiles should be retrieved, must not be {@code null}.
      * @return The active profiles of the model or an empty list if the specified model id does
      *         not refer to a known model or has no active profiles.
diff --git a/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelProblem.java b/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelProblem.java
index f15fe0db01..eda871cb9c 100644
--- a/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelProblem.java
+++ b/api/maven-api-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/api/services/ModelProblem.java
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ public interface ModelProblem extends BuilderProblem {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Gets the identifier of the model from which the problem originated. While the general form of this identifier is
-     * <code>groupId:artifactId:version</code> the returned identifier need not be complete. The identifier is derived
-     * from the information that is available at the point the problem occurs and as such merely serves as a best effort
+     * Gets the identifier of the model from which the problem originated. The identifier is derived from the
+     * information that is available at the point the problem occurs and as such merely serves as best effort
      * to provide information to the user to track the problem back to its origin.
      *
+     * @see ModelBuilderResult#getModelIds()
      * @return The identifier of the model from which the problem originated or an empty string if unknown, never
      *         {@code null}.
      */
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelBuildingResult.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelBuildingResult.java
index d4238e8f24..3c98795c61 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelBuildingResult.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelBuildingResult.java
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ public interface ModelBuildingResult {
 
     /**
      * Gets the sequence of model identifiers that denote the lineage of models from which the effective model was
-     * constructed. Model identifiers have the form {@code <groupId>:<artifactId>:<version>}. The first identifier from
-     * the list denotes the model on which the model builder was originally invoked. The last identifier will always be
-     * an empty string that by definition denotes the super POM.
+     * constructed. Model identifiers should be handled as "opaque strings" and this method should be used as source
+     * if navigating the linage. The first identifier from the list denotes the model on which the model builder
+     * was originally invoked. The last identifier will always be the super POM.
      *
      * @return The model identifiers from the lineage of models, never {@code null}.
      */
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ public interface ModelBuildingResult {
     /**
      * Gets the specified raw model as it was read from a model source. Apart from basic validation, a raw model has not
      * undergone any updates by the model builder, e.g. reflects neither inheritance nor interpolation. The model
-     * identifier should be from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}. As a special case, an empty string
-     * can be used as the identifier for the super POM.
+     * identifier should be from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}.
      *
+     * @see #getModelIds()
      * @param modelId The identifier of the desired raw model, must not be {@code null}.
      * @return The raw model or {@code null} if the specified model id does not refer to a known model.
      */
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ public interface ModelBuildingResult {
 
     /**
      * Gets the profiles from the specified model that were active during model building. The model identifier should be
-     * from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}. As a special case, an empty string can be used as the
-     * identifier for the super POM.
+     * from the collection obtained by {@link #getModelIds()}.
      *
+     * @see #getModelIds()
      * @param modelId The identifier of the model whose active profiles should be retrieved, must not be {@code null}.
      * @return The active profiles of the model or an empty list if none or {@code null} if the specified model id does
      *         not refer to a known model.
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelProblem.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelProblem.java
index 16ca418313..9c0cc109c5 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelProblem.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/ModelProblem.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.maven.model.building;
 
+import org.apache.maven.api.services.ModelBuilderResult;
+
 /**
  * Describes a problem that was encountered during model building. A problem can either be an exception that was thrown
  * or a simple string message. In addition, a problem carries a hint about its source, e.g. the POM file that exhibits
@@ -49,11 +51,11 @@ public interface ModelProblem {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Gets the hint about the source of the problem. While the syntax of this hint is unspecified and depends on the
-     * creator of the problem, the general expectation is that the hint provides sufficient information to the user to
-     * track the problem back to its origin. A concrete example for such a source hint can be the file path or URL from
-     * which a POM was read.
+     * Gets the identifier of the model from which the problem originated. The identifier is derived from the
+     * information that is available at the point the problem occurs and as such merely serves as best effort
+     * to provide information to the user to track the problem back to its origin.
      *
+     * @see ModelBuilderResult#getModelIds()
      * @return The hint about the source of the problem or an empty string if unknown, never {@code null}.
      */
     String getSource();