diff --git a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
index 8ca41fba34..511a2246b4 100644
--- a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ final class LocalSnapshotMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
 
         metadata = metadata.withVersioning(metadata.getVersioning().withSnapshotVersions(versions.values()));
 
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (recessive.getPlugins() != null && !recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata = metadata.withPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
+
         artifacts.clear();
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/PluginsMetadata.java b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/PluginsMetadata.java
index 9a424e9765..8c9665ba08 100644
--- a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/PluginsMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/PluginsMetadata.java
@@ -74,12 +74,16 @@ final class PluginsMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
     protected void merge(Metadata recessive) {
         List<Plugin> recessivePlugins = recessive.getPlugins();
         List<Plugin> plugins = metadata.getPlugins();
-        if (!plugins.isEmpty()) {
+        if (!recessivePlugins.isEmpty() || !plugins.isEmpty()) {
             LinkedHashMap<String, Plugin> mergedPlugins = new LinkedHashMap<>();
             recessivePlugins.forEach(p -> mergedPlugins.put(p.getPrefix(), p));
             plugins.forEach(p -> mergedPlugins.put(p.getPrefix(), p));
             metadata = metadata.withPlugins(mergedPlugins.values());
         }
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (recessive.getVersioning() != null) {
+            metadata = metadata.withVersioning(recessive.getVersioning());
+        }
     }
 
     @Deprecated
diff --git a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
index 9f0a168d55..2365cb2482 100644
--- a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.text.DateFormat;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
@@ -130,6 +131,11 @@ final class RemoteSnapshotMetadata extends MavenSnapshotMetadata {
         }
 
         metadata = metadata.withVersioning(metadata.getVersioning().withSnapshotVersions(versions.values()));
+
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (recessive.getPlugins() != null && !recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata = metadata.withPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
     }
 
     private static int getBuildNumber(Metadata metadata) {
diff --git a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/VersionsMetadata.java b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/VersionsMetadata.java
index 2ee20677d2..219550e0ba 100644
--- a/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/VersionsMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-api-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/resolver/VersionsMetadata.java
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ final class VersionsMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
         }
 
         metadata = metadata.withVersioning(versioning.build());
+
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (recessive.getPlugins() != null && !recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata = metadata.withPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
     }
 
     public Object getKey() {
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
index 506a138b0e..aea6a01267 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/LocalSnapshotMetadata.java
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ final class LocalSnapshotMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
 
         metadata.getVersioning().setSnapshotVersions(new ArrayList<>(versions.values()));
 
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (!recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata.setPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
+
         artifacts.clear();
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/PluginsMetadata.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/PluginsMetadata.java
index 46444d55f5..8326f7ae58 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/PluginsMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/PluginsMetadata.java
@@ -75,12 +75,17 @@ final class PluginsMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
     protected void merge(Metadata recessive) {
         List<Plugin> recessivePlugins = recessive.getPlugins();
         List<Plugin> plugins = metadata.getPlugins();
-        if (!plugins.isEmpty()) {
+        if (!recessivePlugins.isEmpty() || !plugins.isEmpty()) {
             LinkedHashMap<String, Plugin> mergedPlugins = new LinkedHashMap<>();
             recessivePlugins.forEach(p -> mergedPlugins.put(p.getPrefix(), p));
             plugins.forEach(p -> mergedPlugins.put(p.getPrefix(), p));
             metadata.setPlugins(new ArrayList<>(mergedPlugins.values()));
         }
+
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (recessive.getVersioning() != null) {
+            metadata.setVersioning(recessive.getVersioning());
+        }
     }
 
     @Deprecated
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
index ae6789b9a2..a543495f7e 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/RemoteSnapshotMetadata.java
@@ -128,6 +128,11 @@ final class RemoteSnapshotMetadata extends MavenSnapshotMetadata {
         }
 
         metadata.getVersioning().setSnapshotVersions(new ArrayList<>(versions.values()));
+
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (!recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata.setPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
     }
 
     private static int getBuildNumber(Metadata metadata) {
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
index 2a7737a395..8cd465fcab 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@ final class VersionsMetadata extends MavenMetadata {
             versions.addAll(versioning.getVersions());
             versioning.setVersions(new ArrayList<>(versions));
         }
+
+        // just carry-on as-is
+        if (!recessive.getPlugins().isEmpty()) {
+            metadata.setPlugins(new ArrayList<>(recessive.getPlugins()));
+        }
     }
 
     public Object getKey() {