diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
index 636b6a80a4..6698e912ba 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/LifecycleExecutorTest.java
@@ -163,17 +163,10 @@ protected void customizeContainerConfiguration( ContainerConfiguration container
         containerConfiguration.addComponentDiscoveryListener( new MavenPluginCollector() );
     }
     
-    //!!jvz The repository system needs to know about the defaults for Maven, it's tied up in the embedder right now.
-    protected ArtifactRepository getLocalRepository()
-        throws InvalidRepositoryException
-    {
-        return repositorySystem.createLocalRepository( new File( "/Users/jvanzyl/.m2/repository" ) );
-    }
-
     protected MavenSession createMavenSession( File pom )
         throws Exception
     {
-        ArtifactRepository localRepository = getLocalRepository();
+        ArtifactRepository localRepository = repositorySystem.createDefaultLocalRepository();
 
         Repository repository = new Repository();
         repository.setUrl( "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2" );
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedder.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedder.java
index 3bec1784e1..6f664b414c 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedder.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedder.java
@@ -81,14 +81,10 @@
  */
 public class MavenEmbedder
 {
-    public static final String DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID = "local";
-
     public static final String userHome = System.getProperty( "user.home" );
 
     public static final File userMavenConfigurationHome = new File( userHome, ".m2" );
 
-    public static final File defaultUserLocalRepository = new File( userMavenConfigurationHome, "repository" );
-
     public static final File DEFAULT_USER_SETTINGS_FILE = new File( userMavenConfigurationHome, "settings.xml" );
 
     public static final File DEFAULT_GLOBAL_SETTINGS_FILE =
@@ -110,8 +106,6 @@ public class MavenEmbedder
 
     private MavenProjectBuilder mavenProjectBuilder;
 
-    private RepositorySystem repositorySystem;
-    
     private MavenXpp3Reader modelReader;
 
     private MavenXpp3Writer modelWriter;
@@ -458,7 +452,7 @@ private void start( Configuration configuration )
 
             populator = container.lookup( MavenExecutionRequestPopulator.class );
 
-            repositorySystem = container.lookup( RepositorySystem.class );
+            container.lookup( RepositorySystem.class );
             
             // This is temporary as we can probably cache a single request and use it for default values and
             // simply cascade values in from requests used for individual executions.
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 38a9abef73..7dfc4c607b 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
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.InvalidRepositoryException;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
 import org.apache.maven.embedder.Configuration;
-import org.apache.maven.embedder.MavenEmbedder;
 import org.apache.maven.embedder.MavenEmbedderException;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenExecutionRequest;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Profile;
@@ -412,12 +411,12 @@ public ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( MavenExecutionRequest request,
 
         if ( StringUtils.isEmpty( localRepositoryPath ) )
         {
-            localRepositoryPath = MavenEmbedder.defaultUserLocalRepository.getAbsolutePath();
+            localRepositoryPath = RepositorySystem.defaultUserLocalRepository.getAbsolutePath();
         }
 
         try
         {
-            return repositorySystem.createLocalRepository( localRepositoryPath, MavenEmbedder.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID );
+            return repositorySystem.createLocalRepository( localRepositoryPath, RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID );
         }
         catch ( IOException e )
         {
diff --git a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
index bb029a3bbf..51f373c1aa 100644
--- a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
+++ b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@
 public class LegacyRepositorySystem
     implements RepositorySystem
 {
-
     @Requirement
     private WagonManager wagonManager;
 
@@ -318,6 +317,12 @@ public ArtifactRepositoryPolicy buildArtifactRepositoryPolicy( RepositoryPolicy
 
     // From MavenExecutionRequestPopulator
 
+    public ArtifactRepository createDefaultLocalRepository()
+        throws InvalidRepositoryException
+    {
+        return createLocalRepository( RepositorySystem.defaultUserLocalRepository );
+    }
+    
     public ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( File localRepository )
         throws InvalidRepositoryException
     {
diff --git a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
index f47d07ec27..f13c232935 100644
--- a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
+++ b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/RepositorySystem.java
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@
  */
 public interface RepositorySystem
 {
+    static final String DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID = "local";
+    
+    static final String userHome = System.getProperty( "user.home" );
+    
+    static final File userMavenConfigurationHome = new File( userHome, ".m2" );
+    
+    static final File defaultUserLocalRepository = new File( userMavenConfigurationHome, "repository" );
+    
     Artifact createArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope, String type );
 
     Artifact createProjectArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, String metaVersionId );
@@ -66,6 +74,9 @@ ArtifactRepository buildArtifactRepository( Repository repository )
     ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( String url, String repositoryId )
         throws IOException;
 
+    ArtifactRepository createDefaultLocalRepository()
+        throws InvalidRepositoryException;
+    
     ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( File localRepository )
         throws InvalidRepositoryException;