diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
index 48177e6389..846b8d2028 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.artifact.handler.manager.ArtifactHandlerNotFoundExceptio
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver.ArtifactResolutionException;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenExecutionResponse;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenSession;
+import org.apache.maven.model.Goal;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Plugin;
 import org.apache.maven.model.PluginManagement;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;
@@ -239,27 +240,42 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
         {
             throw new LifecycleExecutionException( "Internal error in the plugin manager", e );
         }
-
-        // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-        // Look to see if the plugin configuration specifies particular mojos
-        // within the plugin. If this is the case then simply configure the
-        // mojos the user has specified and ignore the rest.
-        // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-        for ( Iterator j = pluginDescriptor.getMojos().iterator(); j.hasNext(); )
+        
+        if( plugin.isInheritanceApplied() || pluginDescriptor.isInheritedByDefault() )
         {
-            MojoDescriptor mojoDescriptor = (MojoDescriptor) j.next();
+            // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+            // Look to see if the plugin configuration specifies particular mojos
+            // within the plugin. If this is the case then simply configure the
+            // mojos the user has specified and ignore the rest.
+            // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-            // TODO: remove later
-            if ( mojoDescriptor.getGoal() == null )
+            Map goalMap = plugin.getGoalsAsMap();
+            
+            for ( Iterator j = pluginDescriptor.getMojos().iterator(); j.hasNext(); )
             {
-                throw new LifecycleExecutionException(
-                    "The plugin " + artifactId + " was built with an older version of Maven" );
-            }
+                MojoDescriptor mojoDescriptor = (MojoDescriptor) j.next();
 
-            if ( plugin.getGoals().isEmpty() || plugin.getGoalsAsMap().containsKey( mojoDescriptor.getGoal() ) )
-            {
-                configureMojoPhaseBinding( mojoDescriptor, phaseMap, session.getSettings() );
+                // TODO: remove later
+                if ( mojoDescriptor.getGoal() == null )
+                {
+                    throw new LifecycleExecutionException(
+                        "The plugin " + artifactId + " was built with an older version of Maven" );
+                }
+                
+                Goal goal = (Goal) goalMap.get( mojoDescriptor.getGoal() );
+
+                if( goalMap.isEmpty() )
+                {
+                    configureMojoPhaseBinding( mojoDescriptor, phaseMap, session.getSettings() );
+                }
+                else if ( goal != null )
+                {
+                    // We have to check to see that the inheritance rules have been applied before binding this mojo.
+                    if( goal.isInheritanceApplied() || mojoDescriptor.isInheritedByDefault() )
+                    {
+                        configureMojoPhaseBinding( mojoDescriptor, phaseMap, session.getSettings() );
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/maven-model/maven.mdo b/maven-model/maven.mdo
index c34d6e498c..d897dc56fa 100644
--- a/maven-model/maven.mdo
+++ b/maven-model/maven.mdo
@@ -2050,9 +2050,9 @@
           <version>4.0.0</version>
           <code><![CDATA[
     private Map goalMap = null;
-    private boolean inheritanceApplied = false;
+    private boolean inheritanceApplied = true;
     
-    public void setInheritanceApplied()
+    public void unsetInheritanceApplied()
     {
         this.inheritanceApplied = true;
     }
@@ -2120,9 +2120,9 @@
       <codeSegments>
         <codeSegment>
           <code><![CDATA[
-    private boolean inheritanceApplied = false;
+    private boolean inheritanceApplied = true;
     
-    public void setInheritanceApplied()
+    public void unsetInheritanceApplied()
     {
         this.inheritanceApplied = true;
     }
diff --git a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/MojoDescriptor.java b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/MojoDescriptor.java
index 254605785b..0233becd1a 100755
--- a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/MojoDescriptor.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/MojoDescriptor.java
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public class MojoDescriptor
 
     private PluginDescriptor pluginDescriptor;
 
-    private boolean inheritedByDefault = false;
+    private boolean inheritedByDefault = true;
 
     public MojoDescriptor()
     {
diff --git a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptor.java b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptor.java
index 9c2e56fdf5..5997ad0d1a 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptor.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptor.java
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public class PluginDescriptor
 
     private String source;
 
+    private boolean inheritedByDefault = true;
+
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     //
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -178,4 +180,14 @@ public class PluginDescriptor
     {
         return source;
     }
+
+    public boolean isInheritedByDefault()
+    {
+        return inheritedByDefault;
+    }
+
+    public void setInheritedByDefault( boolean inheritedByDefault )
+    {
+        this.inheritedByDefault = inheritedByDefault;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptorBuilder.java b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptorBuilder.java
index 676729e2a3..cf8f216fff 100755
--- a/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptorBuilder.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-descriptor/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/descriptor/PluginDescriptorBuilder.java
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ public class PluginDescriptorBuilder
         pluginDescriptor.setVersion( c.getChild( "version" ).getValue() );
         pluginDescriptor.setGoalPrefix( c.getChild( "goalPrefix" ).getValue() );
 
+        String inheritedByDefault = c.getChild( "inheritedByDefault" ).getValue();
+
+        if ( inheritedByDefault != null )
+        {
+            pluginDescriptor.setInheritedByDefault( Boolean.valueOf( inheritedByDefault ).booleanValue() );
+        }
+
         // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Components
         // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginDescriptorGenerator.java b/maven-plugin-tools/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginDescriptorGenerator.java
index c63b3bf64c..fd201edfb8 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginDescriptorGenerator.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginDescriptorGenerator.java
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ public class PluginDescriptorGenerator
 
             element( w, "goalPrefix", pluginDescriptor.getGoalPrefix() );
 
-             w.startElement( "mojos" );
+            element( w, "inheritedByDefault", "" + pluginDescriptor.isInheritedByDefault() );
+            
+            w.startElement( "mojos" );
 
             for ( Iterator it = pluginDescriptor.getMojos().iterator(); it.hasNext(); )
             {
diff --git a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/ModelUtils.java b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/ModelUtils.java
index a2e041baf0..160d7193e6 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/ModelUtils.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/ModelUtils.java
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ public final class ModelUtils
                         ModelUtils.mergePluginDefinitions( childPlugin, parentPlugin, handleAsInheritance );
                     }
 
-                    if ( handleAsInheritance )
+                    if ( handleAsInheritance && parentInherited == null )
                     {
-                        assembledPlugin.setInheritanceApplied();
+                        assembledPlugin.unsetInheritanceApplied();
                     }
 
                     assembledPlugins.put( assembledPlugin.getKey(), assembledPlugin );
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ public final class ModelUtils
                             assembledGoal = childGoal;
                         }
 
-                        if ( handleAsInheritance )
+                        if ( handleAsInheritance && parentInherited == null )
                         {
-                            assembledGoal.setInheritanceApplied();
+                            assembledGoal.unsetInheritanceApplied();
                         }
 
                         assembledGoals.put( assembledGoal.getId(), assembledGoal );
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ public final class ModelUtils
                 }
 
                 child.setGoals( new ArrayList( assembledGoals.values() ) );
+
                 child.flushGoalMap();
             }
         }