diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/injection/DefaultModelDefaultsInjector.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/injection/DefaultModelDefaultsInjector.java
index db502d179b..3ebe5f7d9e 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/injection/DefaultModelDefaultsInjector.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/injection/DefaultModelDefaultsInjector.java
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ private void mergeWithDefaults( Dependency dep, Dependency def )
             dep.setVersion( def.getVersion() );
         }
 
+        if ( dep.getFile() == null && def.getFile() != null )
+        {
+            dep.setFile( def.getFile() );
+        }
+
         Properties props = new Properties( def.getProperties() );
         props.putAll( dep.getProperties() );
         dep.setProperties( props );
diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectDefaultsInjectorTest.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectDefaultsInjectorTest.java
index ea3e8ac37e..9612b3f71a 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectDefaultsInjectorTest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectDefaultsInjectorTest.java
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@
 
 /**
  * @author jdcasey
- *         <p/>
- *         Created on Feb 1, 2005
  */
 public class DefaultProjectDefaultsInjectorTest
 extends TestCase
@@ -53,6 +51,7 @@ public void testShouldSucceedInMergingDependencyWithDependency()
         def.setGroupId( dep.getGroupId() );
         def.setArtifactId( dep.getArtifactId() );
         def.setVersion( "1.0.1" );
+        def.setFile( "file" );
 
         DependencyManagement depMgmt = new DependencyManagement();
 
@@ -205,6 +204,70 @@ public void testShouldNotMergeDefaultPropertiesWhenDependencySuppliesProperties(
         assertEquals( "value", result.getProperties().getProperty( "test" ) );
     }
 
+    public void testShouldMergeDefaultFileWhenDependencyDoesntSupplyFile()
+    {
+        Model model = new Model();
+
+        Dependency dep = new Dependency();
+        dep.setGroupId( "myGroup" );
+        dep.setArtifactId( "myArtifact" );
+        dep.setVersion( "1.0.1" );
+        dep.setFile( "file" );
+
+        model.addDependency( dep );
+
+        Dependency def = new Dependency();
+        def.setGroupId( dep.getGroupId() );
+        def.setArtifactId( dep.getArtifactId() );
+
+        DependencyManagement depMgmt = new DependencyManagement();
+
+        depMgmt.addDependency( def );
+
+        model.setDependencyManagement( depMgmt );
+
+        new DefaultModelDefaultsInjector().injectDefaults( model );
+
+        List deps = model.getDependencies();
+        assertEquals( 1, deps.size() );
+
+        Dependency result = (Dependency) deps.get( 0 );
+
+        assertEquals( "file", result.getFile() );
+    }
+
+    public void testShouldNotMergeDefaultFileWhenDependencySuppliesFile()
+    {
+        Model model = new Model();
+
+        Dependency dep = new Dependency();
+        dep.setGroupId( "myGroup" );
+        dep.setArtifactId( "myArtifact" );
+        dep.setVersion( "1.0.1" );
+        dep.setFile( "file" );
+
+        model.addDependency( dep );
+
+        Dependency def = new Dependency();
+        def.setGroupId( dep.getGroupId() );
+        def.setArtifactId( dep.getArtifactId() );
+        def.setFile( "default" );
+
+        DependencyManagement depMgmt = new DependencyManagement();
+
+        depMgmt.addDependency( def );
+
+        model.setDependencyManagement( depMgmt );
+
+        new DefaultModelDefaultsInjector().injectDefaults( model );
+
+        List deps = model.getDependencies();
+        assertEquals( 1, deps.size() );
+
+        Dependency result = (Dependency) deps.get( 0 );
+        assertEquals( "file", result.getFile() );
+    }
+
     public void testShouldRejectDependencyWhereNoVersionIsFoundAfterDefaultsInjection()
     {
         Model model = new Model();
diff --git a/maven-model/maven.mdo b/maven-model/maven.mdo
index 6515665766..a98d298544 100644
--- a/maven-model/maven.mdo
+++ b/maven-model/maven.mdo
@@ -807,6 +807,12 @@
             <multiplicity>*</multiplicity>
           </association>
         </field>
+        <field>
+          <name>file</name>
+          <version>4.0.0</version>
+          <description>Override the use of a repository - retrieve it from this file</description>
+          <type>String</type>
+        </field>
       </fields>
       <codeSegments>
         <codeSegment>