diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/ClassRealmManager.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/ClassRealmManager.java
index b72fe95460..20c5f23538 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/ClassRealmManager.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/ClassRealmManager.java
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ import org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.realm.ClassRealm;
 public interface ClassRealmManager
 {
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the class realm hosting the Maven core.
+     * 
+     * @return The class realm hosting the Maven core, never {@code null}.
+     */
+    ClassRealm getCoreRealm();
+
     /**
      * Creates a new class realm for the specified project and its build extensions.
      * 
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/DefaultClassRealmManager.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/DefaultClassRealmManager.java
index 1c4ad31e65..84bd1bc237 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/DefaultClassRealmManager.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/classrealm/DefaultClassRealmManager.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class DefaultClassRealmManager
             }
             else
             {
-                classRealm.setParentRealm( container.getContainerRealm() );
+                classRealm.setParentRealm( getCoreRealm() );
                 importMavenApi( classRealm );
             }
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public class DefaultClassRealmManager
      */
     private void importXpp3Dom( ClassRealm importingRealm )
     {
-        ClassRealm coreRealm = container.getContainerRealm();
+        ClassRealm coreRealm = getCoreRealm();
 
         importingRealm.importFrom( coreRealm, "org.codehaus.plexus.util.xml.Xpp3Dom" );
         importingRealm.importFrom( coreRealm, "org.codehaus.plexus.util.xml.pull.XmlPullParser" );
@@ -185,6 +185,11 @@ public class DefaultClassRealmManager
         importingRealm.importFromParent( "org.codehaus.plexus.PlexusContainerException" );
     }
 
+    public ClassRealm getCoreRealm()
+    {
+        return container.getContainerRealm();
+    }
+
     public ClassRealm createProjectRealm( Model model )
     {
         if ( model == null )
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectBuildingHelper.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectBuildingHelper.java
index 772e81ac2c..7279fda2f4 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectBuildingHelper.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/DefaultProjectBuildingHelper.java
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ public class DefaultProjectBuildingHelper
 
         if ( projectRealm == null )
         {
-            projectRealm = container.getContainerRealm();
+            projectRealm = classRealmManager.getCoreRealm();
         }
 
         Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader( projectRealm );