diff --git a/maven-project-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomTransformer.java b/maven-project-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomTransformer.java
index 48d661175d..22e341173f 100644
--- a/maven-project-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomTransformer.java
+++ b/maven-project-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomTransformer.java
@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ public class PomTransformer
             {
                 int index = props.indexOf(mp) + 1;
 
-                if(index <= props.size() && mp.isParentOf(props.get(index)) && !props.get(index).getUri().contains("#property"))
+                if(index <= props.size() && mp.isParentOf(props.get(index)) && mp.getDepth() != props.get(index).getDepth()
+                        && !props.get(index).getUri().contains("#property"))
                 {
                     p.add(new ModelProperty(mp.getUri(), null));
                 }
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomConstructionTest.java b/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomConstructionTest.java
index f0c9000fcc..7ecfec0eb5 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomConstructionTest.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/builder/PomConstructionTest.java
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ public class PomConstructionTest
        // System.out.println(pom.getDomainModel().asString());
         assertEquals( 1, ( (List<?>) pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions" ) ).size() );
     }
+
+    /** MNG-3997 */
+    public void testConsecutiveEmptyElements()
+        throws Exception
+    {
+        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "consecutive_empty_elements" );
+        pom.getDomainModel().asString();
+    }
+
     //*/
     public void testOrderOfGoalsFromPluginExecutionWithoutPluginManagement()
         throws Exception
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/consecutive_empty_elements/pom.xml b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/consecutive_empty_elements/pom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..16d1968fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/consecutive_empty_elements/pom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+<project>
+    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
+    <groupId>test</groupId>
+    <artifactId>artifact</artifactId>
+    <version>1.0</version>
+
+    <developers>
+        <developer>
+            <organization/>
+            <organizationUrl/>
+        </developer>
+    </developers>
+
+</project>