diff --git a/maven-model/src/main/mdo/maven.mdo b/maven-model/src/main/mdo/maven.mdo
index 0462dc0b61..391f4eae4b 100644
--- a/maven-model/src/main/mdo/maven.mdo
+++ b/maven-model/src/main/mdo/maven.mdo
@@ -2742,7 +2742,7 @@
           <name>id</name>
           <version>4.0.0</version>
           <type>String</type>
-          <defaultValue>default-execution-id</defaultValue>
+          <defaultValue>default</defaultValue>
           <description>The identifier of this execution for labelling the goals during the build,
             and for matching executions to merge during inheritance.</description>
         </field>
@@ -2768,7 +2768,7 @@
           <version>4.0.0</version>
           <code>
             <![CDATA[
-    public static final String DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ID = "default-execution-id";
+    public static final String DEFAULT_EXECUTION_ID = "default";
             ]]>
           </code>
         </codeSegment>
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java b/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
index 8ab3b40d50..1a2db57341 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
@@ -472,12 +472,13 @@ public class PomConstructionTest
         assertEquals( "parent-a", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[1]/goals[5]" ) );
     }
 
+    /*MNG-3938*/
     public void testOverridingOfInheritedPluginExecutionsWithoutPluginManagement()
         throws Exception
     {
         PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "plugin-exec-merging/wo-plugin-mngt/sub" );
         assertEquals( 2, ( (List<?>) pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions" ) ).size() );
-        assertEquals( "child-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='default-execution-id']/phase" ) );
+        assertEquals( "child-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='default']/phase" ) );
         assertEquals( "child-non-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='non-default']/phase" ) );
     }
 
@@ -487,7 +488,7 @@ public class PomConstructionTest
     {
         PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "plugin-exec-merging/w-plugin-mngt/sub" );
         assertEquals( 2, ( (List<?>) pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions" ) ).size() );
-        assertEquals( "child-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='default-execution-id']/phase" ) );
+        assertEquals( "child-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='default']/phase" ) );
         assertEquals( "child-non-default", pom.getValue( "build/plugins[1]/executions[@id='non-default']/phase" ) );
     }
 
@@ -1205,8 +1206,7 @@ public class PomConstructionTest
         assertEquals( "CHILD", pom.getValue( "properties/overridden" ) );
         assertEquals( "CHILD", pom.getValue( "properties/interpolated" ) );
     }
-
-
+    
     private void assertPathSuffixEquals( String expected, Object actual )
     {
         String a = actual.toString();
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/dual-execution-ids/sub/pom.xml b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/dual-execution-ids/sub/pom.xml
index 8e799af3ec..fde9e14965 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/dual-execution-ids/sub/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/dual-execution-ids/sub/pom.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
       <version>1.0</version>
       <executions>
         <execution>
-          <id>default-execution-id</id> 
+          <id>default</id> 
           <goals>
             <goal>process</goal>
           </goals>
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/w-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/w-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
index a3f4ff6101..827b907535 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/w-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/w-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ under the License.
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <!-- NOTE: Explicitly reference "default" id here -->
-            <id>default-execution-id</id>
+            <id>default</id>
             <phase>child-default</phase>
           </execution>
           <execution>
diff --git a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/wo-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/wo-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
index a3f4ff6101..827b907535 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/wo-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-project/src/test/resources-project-builder/plugin-exec-merging/wo-plugin-mngt/sub/pom.xml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ under the License.
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <!-- NOTE: Explicitly reference "default" id here -->
-            <id>default-execution-id</id>
+            <id>default</id>
             <phase>child-default</phase>
           </execution>
           <execution>