Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/war/packaging/ArtifactsPackagingTask.java
               
===================================================================
                                                                                  
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/war/packaging/ArtifactsPackagingTask.java	(revision 581946)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/war/packaging/ArtifactsPackagingTask.java	(working copy)
   
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
                                                                                                                                    
 package org.apache.maven.plugin.war.packaging;                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
-import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;                                                                                                           
-import org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver.filter.ScopeArtifactFilter;                                                                                
-import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;                                                                                               
-import org.apache.maven.plugin.war.Overlay;                                                                                                          
-                                                                                                                                                     
 import java.io.IOException;                                                                                                                          
 import java.util.ArrayList;                                                                                                                          
 import java.util.Iterator;                                                                                                                           
 import java.util.List;                                                                                                                               
 import java.util.Set;                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;                                                                                                           
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver.filter.ScopeArtifactFilter;                                                                                
+import org.apache.maven.model.Dependency;                                                                                                            
+import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;                                                                                               
+import org.apache.maven.plugin.war.Overlay;                                                                                                          
+                                                                                                                                                     
 /**                                                                                                                                                  
  * Handles the artifacts that needs to be packaged in the web application.                                                                           
  *                                                                                                                                                   
@@ -41,6 +42,13 @@
                                                                                                                                   
     {                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
         final ScopeArtifactFilter filter = new ScopeArtifactFilter( Artifact.SCOPE_RUNTIME );                                                        
+                                                                                                                                                     
+        final Set artifacts = context.getProject().getArtifacts();                                                                                   
+                                                                                                                                                     
+        final List dependencies = context.getProject().getDependencies();                                                                            
+                                                                                                                                                     
+        contributeOptionalToArtifacts( artifacts, dependencies );                                                                                    
+                                                                                                                                                     
         final List duplicates = findDuplicates( context, artifacts );                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
         for ( Iterator iter = artifacts.iterator(); iter.hasNext(); )                                                                                
@@ -125,4 +133,59 @@
                                                                                                                                 
         }                                                                                                                                            
         return duplicates;                                                                                                                           
     }                                                                                                                                                
+                                                                                                                                                     
+                                                                                                                                                     
+    /**                                                                                                                                              
+     * Method contributes the optional attribute to the given set of project artifacts if the artifact's artifactId,                                 
+     * groupId, and type matches optional dependencies in the given list of dependencies.                                                            
+     *                                                                                                                                               
+     * @param artifacts the set of artifacts to potentially contribute the optional flag                                                             
+     * @param dependencies the list of dependencies which may or may not declare the artifacts as optional                                           
+     */                                                                                                                                              
+    private void contributeOptionalToArtifacts( Set artifacts, List dependencies )                                                                   
+    {                                                                                                                                                
+        // Build sub list of optional dependencies                                                                                                   
+        List optionalDependencies = getOptionalDependencies( dependencies );                                                                         
+                                                                                                                                                     
+        // Loop over the dependencies and match on artifactId, groupId, type                                                                         
+        Artifact artifact = null;                                                                                                                    
+        Dependency dependency = null;                                                                                                                
+        for ( Iterator artifactIter = artifacts.iterator(); artifactIter.hasNext(); )                                                                
+        {                                                                                                                                            
+            artifact = (Artifact) artifactIter.next();                                                                                               
+            for ( Iterator dependencyIter = optionalDependencies.iterator(); dependencyIter.hasNext(); )                                             
+            {                                                                                                                                        
+                dependency = (Dependency) dependencyIter.next();                                                                                     
+                if ( artifact.getArtifactId().equalsIgnoreCase( dependency.getArtifactId() ) &&                                                      
+                    artifact.getGroupId().equalsIgnoreCase( dependency.getGroupId() ) &&                                                             
+                    artifact.getType().equalsIgnoreCase( dependency.getType() ) )                                                                    
+                {                                                                                                                                    
+                    artifact.setOptional( dependency.isOptional() );                                                                                 
+                }                                                                                                                                    
+            }                                                                                                                                        
+        }                                                                                                                                            
+    }                                                                                                                                                
+                                                                                                                                                     
+    /**                                                                                                                                              
+     * Returns a sub list of the &quot;optional&quot; <code>Dependency</code> objects given a list of project                                        
+     * dependencies.                                                                                                                                 
+     *                                                                                                                                               
+     * @param dependencies a List of project dependencies                                                                                            
+     * @return a sub list of the passed in dependencies whose optional attribute is true                                                             
+     */                                                                                                                                              
+    private List getOptionalDependencies( List dependencies )                                                                                        
+    {                                                                                                                                                
+        // Build sub list of optional dependencies                                                                                                   
+        List optionalDependencies = new ArrayList();                                                                                                 
+        Dependency dependency = null;                                                                                                                
+        for ( Iterator iter = dependencies.iterator(); iter.hasNext(); )                                                                             
+        {                                                                                                                                            
+            dependency = (Dependency) iter.next();                                                                                                   
+            if ( dependency.isOptional() )                                                                                                           
+            {                                                                                                                                        
+                optionalDependencies.add( dependency );                                                                                              
+            }                                                                                                                                        
+        }                                                                                                                                            
+        return optionalDependencies;                                                                                                                 
+    }                                                                                                                                                
 }