diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
index 7bfbdbee50..cc2877f214 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
@@ -166,26 +166,23 @@ public class LifecycleExecutorTest
         throws Exception
     {
         ArtifactRepository localRepository = repositorySystem.createDefaultLocalRepository();
-
-        Repository repository = new Repository();
-        repository.setUrl( "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2" );
-        repository.setId( "central" );
-
-        ProjectBuilderConfiguration configuration = new DefaultProjectBuilderConfiguration()
-            .setLocalRepository( localRepository )
-            .setRemoteRepositories( Arrays.asList( repositorySystem.buildArtifactRepository( repository ) ) );
-
-        MavenProject project = projectBuilder.build( pom, configuration );
-
+        ArtifactRepository remoteRepository = repositorySystem.createDefaultRemoteRepository();
+        
         MavenExecutionRequest request = new DefaultMavenExecutionRequest()
             .setProjectPresent( true )
             .setPluginGroups( Arrays.asList( new String[] { "org.apache.maven.plugins" } ) )
             .setLocalRepository( localRepository )
-            .setRemoteRepositories( Arrays.asList( repositorySystem.buildArtifactRepository( repository ) ) )
+            .setRemoteRepositories( Arrays.asList( remoteRepository ) )
             .setGoals( Arrays.asList( new String[] { "package" } ) )    
             .addEventMonitor( new DefaultEventMonitor( new ConsoleLogger( 0, "" ) ) )
             .setProperties( new Properties() );
 
+        ProjectBuilderConfiguration configuration = new DefaultProjectBuilderConfiguration()
+            .setLocalRepository( localRepository )
+            .setRemoteRepositories( Arrays.asList( remoteRepository ) );
+
+        MavenProject project = projectBuilder.build( pom, configuration );        
+        
         List projects = new ArrayList();
         projects.add( project );
         
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
index 7dfc4c607b..c77740da13 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
@@ -192,22 +192,14 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator
         }
 
         if ( !definedRepositories.contains( "central" ) )
-        {
-            Repository repo = new Repository();
-            repo.setId( "central" );
-            repo.setUrl( "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2" );
-            repo.setName( "Maven Repository Switchboard" );
-            RepositoryPolicy snapshotPolicy = new RepositoryPolicy();
-            snapshotPolicy.setEnabled( false );
-            repo.setSnapshots( snapshotPolicy );
+        {            
             try
             {
-                ArtifactRepository ar = repositorySystem.buildArtifactRepository( repo );
-                request.addRemoteRepository( ar );
+                request.addRemoteRepository( repositorySystem.createDefaultRemoteRepository() );
             }
             catch ( InvalidRepositoryException e )
             {
-                throw new MavenEmbedderException( "Cannot create remote repository " + repo.getId(), e );
+                throw new MavenEmbedderException( "Cannot create default remote repository.", e );
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
index 51f373c1aa..3a76f102e5 100644
--- a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
+++ b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
@@ -314,9 +314,7 @@ public class LegacyRepositorySystem
 
         return new ArtifactRepositoryPolicy( enabled, updatePolicy, checksumPolicy );
     }
-
-    // From MavenExecutionRequestPopulator
-
+    
     public ArtifactRepository createDefaultLocalRepository()
         throws InvalidRepositoryException
     {
@@ -328,14 +326,20 @@ public class LegacyRepositorySystem
     {
         try
         {
-            return createRepository( localRepository.toURI().toURL().toString(), "maven.repo.local" );
+            return createRepository( localRepository.toURI().toURL().toString(), RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID );
         }
         catch ( MalformedURLException e )
         {
-            throw new InvalidRepositoryException( "Error creating local repository.", "maven.repo.local", e );
+            throw new InvalidRepositoryException( "Error creating local repository.", RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID, e );
         }
     }
 
+    public ArtifactRepository createDefaultRemoteRepository()
+        throws InvalidRepositoryException
+    {
+        return createRepository( RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_REMOTE_REPO_URL, RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_REMOTE_REPO_ID );
+    }
+    
     public ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( String url, String repositoryId )
         throws IOException
     {
diff --git a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
index f13c232935..c2701ca0d1 100644
--- a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
+++ b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.wagon.events.TransferListener;
  */
 public interface RepositorySystem
 {
+    // Default local repository 
     static final String DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID = "local";
     
     static final String userHome = System.getProperty( "user.home" );
@@ -50,6 +51,11 @@ public interface RepositorySystem
     
     static final File defaultUserLocalRepository = new File( userMavenConfigurationHome, "repository" );
     
+    // Default remote repository
+    static final String DEFAULT_REMOTE_REPO_ID = "central";
+
+    static final String DEFAULT_REMOTE_REPO_URL = "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2";
+
     Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope, String type );
 
     Artifact createProjectArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String metaVersionId );
@@ -74,6 +80,9 @@ public interface RepositorySystem
     ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( String url, String repositoryId )
         throws IOException;
 
+    ArtifactRepository createDefaultRemoteRepository()
+        throws InvalidRepositoryException;    
+    
     ArtifactRepository createDefaultLocalRepository()
         throws InvalidRepositoryException;