Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java	(revision 328218)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/MavenMetadataSource.java	(working copy)
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@
     public ResolutionGroup retrieve( Artifact artifact, ArtifactRepository localRepository, List remoteRepositories )
         throws ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException
     {
+        return retrieve( artifact, localRepository, remoteRepositories, null );
+    }
+    
+    public ResolutionGroup retrieve( Artifact artifact, ArtifactRepository localRepository, List remoteRepositories,
+                                     ArtifactFilter filter )
+        throws ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException
+    {
         MavenProject project = null;
 
         Artifact pomArtifact;
@@ -149,6 +156,13 @@
                         }
 
                         getLogger().warn( message + "\n" );
+
+                        if ( filter != null && !filter.include( artifact ) )
+                        {
+                            // artifact is excluded, must return now with an empty resolution group
+                            // or the artifact will be resolved again for transitivity
+                            return new ResolutionGroup( pomArtifact, Collections.EMPTY_SET, Collections.EMPTY_LIST );
+                        }    
                     }
                     else
                     {