diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/Restriction.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/Restriction.java
index e06e2b48f1..7480668ae1 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/Restriction.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/Restriction.java
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ public class Restriction
 
     private final boolean upperBoundInclusive;
 
+    static final Restriction EVERYTHING = new Restriction( null, false, null, false );
+
     public Restriction( ArtifactVersion lowerBound, boolean lowerBoundInclusive, ArtifactVersion upperBound,
                         boolean upperBoundInclusive )
     {
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRange.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRange.java
index bdf07ee5fc..a840547a2b 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRange.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRange.java
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public class VersionRange
             else
             {
                 version = new DefaultArtifactVersion( process );
+                restrictions.add( Restriction.EVERYTHING );
             }
         }
 
@@ -182,13 +183,9 @@ public class VersionRange
         List r1 = this.restrictions;
         List r2 = restriction.restrictions;
         List restrictions;
-        if ( r1.isEmpty() )
+        if ( r1.isEmpty() || r2.isEmpty() )
         {
-            restrictions = r2;
-        }
-        else if ( r2.isEmpty() )
-        {
-            restrictions = r1;
+            restrictions = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRangeTest.java b/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRangeTest.java
index 17b11ff357..a77822e949 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRangeTest.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/versioning/VersionRangeTest.java
@@ -55,9 +55,14 @@ public class VersionRangeTest
         assertNull( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, range.getRecommendedVersion() );
 
         range = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "1.0" );
-        restrictions = range.getRestrictions();
-        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 0, restrictions.size() );
         assertEquals( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, "1.0", range.getRecommendedVersion().toString() );
+        restrictions = range.getRestrictions();
+        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 1, restrictions.size() );
+        restriction = (Restriction) restrictions.get( 0 );
+        assertNull( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND, restriction.getLowerBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isLowerBoundInclusive() );
+        assertNull( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, restriction.getUpperBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isUpperBoundInclusive() );
 
         range = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.0]" );
         restrictions = range.getRestrictions();
@@ -141,20 +146,32 @@ public class VersionRangeTest
         VersionRange range2 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "1.1" );
         VersionRange mergedRange = range1.restrict( range2 );
         assertEquals( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, "1.1", mergedRange.getRecommendedVersion().toString() );
-        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 0, mergedRange.getRestrictions().size() );
+        List restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
+        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 1, restrictions.size() );
+        Restriction restriction = (Restriction) restrictions.get( 0 );
+        assertNull( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND, restriction.getLowerBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isLowerBoundInclusive() );
+        assertNull( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, restriction.getUpperBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isUpperBoundInclusive() );
 
         mergedRange = range2.restrict( range1 );
         assertEquals( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, "1.1", mergedRange.getRecommendedVersion().toString() );
-        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 0, mergedRange.getRestrictions().size() );
+        restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
+        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 1, restrictions.size() );
+        restriction = (Restriction) restrictions.get( 0 );
+        assertNull( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND, restriction.getLowerBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isLowerBoundInclusive() );
+        assertNull( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, restriction.getUpperBound() );
+        assertFalse( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isUpperBoundInclusive() );
 
         // TODO: test reversed restrictions on all below
         range1 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.0,)" );
         range2 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "1.1" );
         mergedRange = range1.restrict( range2 );
         assertEquals( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, "1.1", mergedRange.getRecommendedVersion().toString() );
-        List restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
+        restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
         assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 1, restrictions.size() );
-        Restriction restriction = (Restriction) restrictions.get( 0 );
+        restriction = (Restriction) restrictions.get( 0 );
         assertEquals( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND, "1.0", restriction.getLowerBound().toString() );
         assertTrue( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isLowerBoundInclusive() );
         assertNull( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, restriction.getUpperBound() );
@@ -403,7 +420,6 @@ public class VersionRangeTest
         assertEquals( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, "1.1", restriction.getUpperBound().toString() );
         assertTrue( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isUpperBoundInclusive() );
 
-        // TODO: specify this differently from no restriction - no restriction should be null, or one restriction with null ends?
         range1 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.0,1.1)" );
         range2 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.1,1.4]" );
         mergedRange = range1.restrict( range2 );
@@ -584,6 +600,23 @@ public class VersionRangeTest
         assertTrue( CHECK_LOWER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isLowerBoundInclusive() );
         assertEquals( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND, "1.6", restriction.getUpperBound().toString() );
         assertTrue( CHECK_UPPER_BOUND_INCLUSIVE, restriction.isUpperBoundInclusive() );
+
+        // test restricting empty sets
+        range1 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[,1.1],[1.4,]" );
+        range2 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.2,1.3]" );
+        range1 = range1.restrict( range2 );
+        mergedRange = range1.restrict( range2 );
+        assertNull( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, mergedRange.getRecommendedVersion() );
+        restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
+        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 0, restrictions.size() );
+
+        range1 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[,1.1],[1.4,]" );
+        range2 = VersionRange.createFromVersionSpec( "[1.2,1.3]" );
+        range2 = range1.restrict( range2 );
+        mergedRange = range1.restrict( range2 );
+        assertNull( CHECK_VERSION_RECOMMENDATION, mergedRange.getRecommendedVersion() );
+        restrictions = mergedRange.getRestrictions();
+        assertEquals( CHECK_NUM_RESTRICTIONS, 0, restrictions.size() );
     }
 
     private void checkInvalidRange( String version )