diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/transform/SnapshotTransformation.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/transform/SnapshotTransformation.java
index 4b911bad24..7d9f93ce71 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/transform/SnapshotTransformation.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/transform/SnapshotTransformation.java
@@ -63,22 +63,10 @@ public void transformForInstall( Artifact artifact, ArtifactRepository localRepo
         {
             artifact.setBaseVersion( m.group( 1 ) + "-" + SNAPSHOT_VERSION );
         }
-        try
+        else if ( isSnapshot( artifact ) )
         {
-            VersionArtifactMetadata metadata = readFromLocalRepository( artifact, localRepository );
-            if ( !metadata.exists() )
-            {
-                // doesn't exist - create to avoid an old snapshot download later
-                metadata.storeInLocalRepository( localRepository );
-            }
-        }
-        catch ( ArtifactPathFormatException e )
-        {
-            throw new ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException( "Error getting existing metadata", e );
-        }
-        catch ( IOException e )
-        {
-            throw new ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException( "Error getting existing metadata", e );
+            SnapshotArtifactMetadata metadata = new SnapshotArtifactMetadata( artifact );
+            metadata.storeInLocalRepository( localRepository );
         }
     }