diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
index 508ebeb2514..baf5e7c8507 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ private ProjectRelocation retrieveRelocatedProject( Artifact artifact, MetadataR
                     configuration.setProcessPlugins( false );
                     configuration.setRepositoryMerging( ProjectBuildingRequest.RepositoryMerging.REQUEST_DOMINANT );
                     configuration.setSystemProperties( getSystemProperties() );
+                    configuration.setUserProperties( new Properties() );
                     configuration.setRepositorySession( legacySupport.getRepositorySession() );
 
                     project = projectBuilder.build( pomArtifact, configuration ).getProject();
diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/AbstractCoreMavenComponentTestCase.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/AbstractCoreMavenComponentTestCase.java
index 2d9400ef47c..bb3574ae41d 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/AbstractCoreMavenComponentTestCase.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/AbstractCoreMavenComponentTestCase.java
@@ -128,7 +128,8 @@ protected MavenSession createMavenSession( File pom, Properties executionPropert
             .setLocalRepository( request.getLocalRepository() )
             .setRemoteRepositories( request.getRemoteRepositories() )
             .setPluginArtifactRepositories( request.getPluginArtifactRepositories() )
-            .setSystemProperties( executionProperties );
+            .setSystemProperties( executionProperties )
+            .setUserProperties( new Properties() );
 
         List<MavenProject> projects = new ArrayList<>();
 
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 e2f371e55bb..a96583d64a6 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
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ public void testValidationErrorUponNonUniqueDependencyManagementKeyInProfile()
     public void testDuplicateDependenciesCauseLastDeclarationToBePickedInLenientMode()
         throws Exception
     {
-        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "unique-dependency-key/deps", true, null );
+        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "unique-dependency-key/deps", true, null, null );
         assertEquals( 1, ( (List<?>) pom.getValue( "dependencies" ) ).size() );
         assertEquals( "0.2", pom.getValue( "dependencies[1]/version" ) );
     }
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ public void testJdkActivation()
         Properties props = new Properties();
         props.put( "java.version", "1.5.0_15" );
 
-        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "jdk-activation", props );
+        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "jdk-activation", props, null );
         assertEquals( 3, pom.getMavenProject().getActiveProfiles().size() );
         assertEquals( "PASSED", pom.getValue( "properties/jdkProperty3" ) );
         assertEquals( "PASSED", pom.getValue( "properties/jdkProperty2" ) );
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ public void testInterpolationWithSystemProperty()
     {
         Properties sysProps = new Properties();
         sysProps.setProperty( "system.property", "PASSED" );
-        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "system-property-interpolation", sysProps );
+        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "system-property-interpolation", sysProps, null );
         assertEquals( "PASSED", pom.getValue( "name" ) );
     }
 
@@ -1764,7 +1764,7 @@ public void testCliPropsDominateProjectPropsDuringInterpolation()
     {
         Properties props = new Properties();
         props.setProperty( "testProperty", "PASSED" );
-        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "interpolation-cli-wins", props );
+        PomTestWrapper pom = buildPom( "interpolation-cli-wins", null, props );
 
         assertEquals( "PASSED", pom.getValue( "properties/interpolatedProperty" ) );
     }
@@ -1918,17 +1918,17 @@ private void assertPathWithNormalizedFileSeparators( Object value )
     private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, String... profileIds )
         throws Exception
     {
-        return buildPom( pomPath, null, profileIds );
+        return buildPom( pomPath, null, null, profileIds );
     }
 
-    private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, Properties executionProperties, String... profileIds )
+    private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, Properties systemProperties, Properties userProperties, String... profileIds )
         throws Exception
     {
-        return buildPom( pomPath, false, executionProperties, profileIds );
+        return buildPom( pomPath, false, systemProperties, userProperties, profileIds );
     }
 
-    private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, boolean lenientValidation, Properties executionProperties,
-                                     String... profileIds )
+    private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, boolean lenientValidation, Properties systemProperties,
+                                     Properties userProperties, String... profileIds )
         throws Exception
     {
         File pomFile = new File( testDirectory, pomPath );
@@ -1944,8 +1944,8 @@ private PomTestWrapper buildPom( String pomPath, boolean lenientValidation, Prop
         localRepoUrl = "file://" + localRepoUrl;
         config.setLocalRepository( repositorySystem.createArtifactRepository( "local", localRepoUrl, new DefaultRepositoryLayout(), null, null ) );
         config.setActiveProfileIds( Arrays.asList( profileIds ) );
-        config.setSystemProperties( executionProperties );
-        config.setUserProperties( executionProperties );
+        config.setSystemProperties( systemProperties );
+        config.setUserProperties( userProperties );
         config.setValidationLevel( lenientValidation ? ModelBuildingRequest.VALIDATION_LEVEL_MAVEN_2_0
                         : ModelBuildingRequest.VALIDATION_LEVEL_STRICT );
 
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java
index 7beeb043e11..3c9e6fa33a4 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultArtifactDescriptorReader.java
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ private Model loadPom( RepositorySystemSession session, ArtifactDescriptorReques
                 modelRequest.setValidationLevel( ModelBuildingRequest.VALIDATION_LEVEL_MINIMAL );
                 modelRequest.setProcessPlugins( false );
                 modelRequest.setTwoPhaseBuilding( false );
-                modelRequest.setSystemProperties( toProperties( session.getUserProperties(),
-                                                                session.getSystemProperties() ) );
+                modelRequest.setSystemProperties( toProperties( session.getSystemProperties() ) );
+                modelRequest.setUserProperties( toProperties( session.getUserProperties() ) );
                 modelRequest.setModelCache( DefaultModelCache.newInstance( session ) );
                 modelRequest.setModelResolver( new DefaultModelResolver( session, trace.newChild( modelRequest ),
                                                                          request.getRequestContext(), artifactResolver,
@@ -273,17 +273,10 @@ private Model loadPom( RepositorySystemSession session, ArtifactDescriptorReques
         }
     }
 
-    private Properties toProperties( Map<String, String> dominant, Map<String, String> recessive )
+    private Properties toProperties( Map<String, String> map )
     {
         Properties props = new Properties();
-        if ( recessive != null )
-        {
-            props.putAll( recessive );
-        }
-        if ( dominant != null )
-        {
-            props.putAll( dominant );
-        }
+        props.putAll( map );
         return props;
     }