diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
index 976dd350dd..7ba64ac74b 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
@@ -585,6 +585,16 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequest
         return this;
     }
 
+    public MavenExecutionRequest addPluginGroups( List<String> pluginGroups )
+    {
+        for ( String pluginGroup : pluginGroups )
+        {
+            addPluginGroup( pluginGroup );
+        }
+
+        return this;
+    }
+
     public boolean isUsePluginUpdateOverride()
     {
         return usePluginUpdateOverride;
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/MavenExecutionRequest.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/MavenExecutionRequest.java
index 1caa7cb7db..fbf19eafb1 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/MavenExecutionRequest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/MavenExecutionRequest.java
@@ -23,11 +23,9 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
-import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepositoryPolicy;
-import org.apache.maven.model.Plugin;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Profile;
 import org.apache.maven.project.ProjectBuilderConfiguration;
 import org.apache.maven.settings.Settings;
@@ -171,6 +169,7 @@ public interface MavenExecutionRequest
     List<String> getPluginGroups();
     MavenExecutionRequest setPluginGroups( List<String> pluginGroups );
     MavenExecutionRequest addPluginGroup( String pluginGroup );
+    MavenExecutionRequest addPluginGroups( List<String> pluginGroups );
 
     boolean isUsePluginUpdateOverride();
     MavenExecutionRequest setUsePluginUpdateOverride( boolean usePluginUpdateOverride );
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
index ca0853c4c9..a3c1ace4f2 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package org.apache.maven.embedder.execution;
  */
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -57,8 +56,6 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator
         throws MavenEmbedderException
     {
         pom( request, configuration );
-
-        populateDefaultPluginGroups( request, configuration );
         
         settings( request, configuration );
 
@@ -105,10 +102,8 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator
         
     private void populateDefaultPluginGroups( MavenExecutionRequest request, Configuration configuration )
     {
-        List<String> pluginGroups = new ArrayList<String>();
-        pluginGroups.add( "org.apache.maven.plugins" );
-        pluginGroups.add( "org.codehaus.mojo" );
-        request.setPluginGroups( pluginGroups );        
+        request.addPluginGroup( "org.apache.maven.plugins" );
+        request.addPluginGroup( "org.codehaus.mojo" );
     }
     
     // Process plugin groups
@@ -119,7 +114,9 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequestPopulator
     {
         Settings settings = request.getSettings();
         
-        request.getPluginGroups().addAll( settings.getPluginGroups() );
+        request.addPluginGroups( settings.getPluginGroups() );
+
+        populateDefaultPluginGroups( request, configuration );
         
         List<org.apache.maven.settings.Profile> settingsProfiles = settings.getProfiles();