diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
index 9999c13c1a..d8ed45cf94 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ package org.apache.maven.artifact.manager;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.AbstractArtifactComponent;
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.DefaultArtifact;
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.handler.manager.ArtifactHandlerNotFoundException;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
 import org.apache.maven.wagon.ConnectionException;
 import org.apache.maven.wagon.ResourceDoesNotExistException;
@@ -48,6 +50,16 @@ public class DefaultWagonManager
 {
     private PlexusContainer container;
 
+    public Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String type )
+        throws ArtifactHandlerNotFoundException
+    {
+        Artifact artifact = new DefaultArtifact( groupId, artifactId, version, type );
+
+        artifact.setPath( path( artifact ) );
+
+        return artifact;
+    }
+
     public Wagon getWagon( String protocol )
         throws UnsupportedProtocolException
     {
@@ -93,7 +105,6 @@ public class DefaultWagonManager
         releaseWagon( wagon );
     }
 
-
     /**
      * Get the requested artifact from any of the remote repositories and place in
      * the specified local ArtifactRepository.