diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
index ed6b35c9de..f3c8bd0c47 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/PomConstructionTest.java
@@ -1405,8 +1405,7 @@ public class PomConstructionTest
 	{
 	    PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "dependency-scope-inheritance/sub" );
 	    String scope = (String) pom.getValue("dependencies[1]/scope");
-	    assertNull("Scope not null: " + scope, scope);
-	
+	    assertEquals( "compile", scope );
 	}   
     
     public void testDependencyScope()
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/DefaultModelBuilder.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/DefaultModelBuilder.java
index d8b6973471..e1ab687612 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/DefaultModelBuilder.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/DefaultModelBuilder.java
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ public class DefaultModelBuilder
 
         managementInjector.injectManagement( resultModel, request );
 
+        modelNormalizer.injectDefaultValues( resultModel, request );
+
         if ( request.isProcessPlugins() )
         {
             pluginConfigurationExpander.expandPluginConfiguration( resultModel, request );
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/DefaultModelNormalizer.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/DefaultModelNormalizer.java
index e0536274b6..4f6027a628 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/DefaultModelNormalizer.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/DefaultModelNormalizer.java
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.apache.maven.model.Build;
+import org.apache.maven.model.Dependency;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Model;
 import org.apache.maven.model.ModelBuildingRequest;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Plugin;
 import org.apache.maven.model.merge.MavenModelMerger;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.component.annotations.Component;
+import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
  * Handles normalization of a model.
@@ -78,4 +80,30 @@ public class DefaultModelNormalizer
 
     }
 
+    public void injectDefaultValues( Model model, ModelBuildingRequest request )
+    {
+        injectDependencyDefaults( model.getDependencies() );
+
+        Build build = model.getBuild();
+        if ( build != null )
+        {
+            for ( Plugin plugin : build.getPlugins() )
+            {
+                injectDependencyDefaults( plugin.getDependencies() );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void injectDependencyDefaults( List<Dependency> dependencies )
+    {
+        for ( Dependency dependency : dependencies )
+        {
+            if ( StringUtils.isEmpty( dependency.getScope() ) )
+            {
+                // we cannot set this directly in the MDO due to the interactions with dependency management
+                dependency.setScope( "compile" );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/ModelNormalizer.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/ModelNormalizer.java
index 1c685dbe72..c061c84645 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/ModelNormalizer.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/normalization/ModelNormalizer.java
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ import org.apache.maven.model.Model;
 import org.apache.maven.model.ModelBuildingRequest;
 
 /**
- * Handles normalization of a model.
+ * Handles normalization of a model. In this context, normalization is the process of producing a canonical
+ * representation for models that physically look different but are semantically equivalent.
  * 
  * @author Benjamin Bentmann
  */
@@ -38,4 +39,13 @@ public interface ModelNormalizer
      */
     void mergeDuplicates( Model model, ModelBuildingRequest request );
 
+    /**
+     * Sets default values in the specified model that for technical reasons cannot be set directly in the Modello
+     * definition.
+     * 
+     * @param model The model in which to set the default values, must not be {@code null}.
+     * @param request The model building request that holds further settings, must not be {@code null}.
+     */
+    void injectDefaultValues( Model model, ModelBuildingRequest request );
+
 }