Index: main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilter.java
===================================================================
--- main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilter.java	(revision 1065498)
+++ main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilter.java	(working copy)
@@ -250,11 +250,14 @@
         return defaultFilterWrappers;
     }    
 
-    private void loadProperties( Properties filterProperties, List /* String */propertiesFilePaths, Properties baseProps )
+    protected void loadProperties( Properties filterProperties, List /* String */propertiesFilePaths, Properties baseProps )
         throws MavenFilteringException
     {
         if ( propertiesFilePaths != null )
         {
+            Properties workProperties = new Properties();
+            workProperties.putAll(baseProps);
+
             for ( Iterator iterator = propertiesFilePaths.iterator(); iterator.hasNext(); )
             {
                 String filterFile = (String) iterator.next();
@@ -266,8 +269,9 @@
                 try
                 {
                     // TODO new File should be new File(mavenProject.getBasedir(), filterfile ) ?
-                    Properties properties = PropertyUtils.loadPropertyFile( new File( filterFile ), baseProps );
+                    Properties properties = PropertyUtils.loadPropertyFile( new File( filterFile ), workProperties );
                     filterProperties.putAll( properties );
+                    workProperties.putAll(properties);
                 }
                 catch ( IOException e )
                 {
Index: test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilterTest.java
===================================================================
--- test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilterTest.java	(revision 1065498)
+++ test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/filtering/DefaultMavenFileFilterTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package org.apache.maven.shared.filtering;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import org.codehaus.plexus.PlexusTestCase;
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@
 public class DefaultMavenFileFilterTest
     extends PlexusTestCase
 {
-    
+
     File to = new File( getBasedir(), "target/reflection-test.properties" );
 
     protected void setUp()
@@ -101,4 +103,23 @@
         // shouldn't fail
     }
 
+    public void testMultiFilterFileInheritance()
+        throws Exception
+    {
+        DefaultMavenFileFilter mavenFileFilter = new DefaultMavenFileFilter();
+
+        File testDir = new File(getBasedir(), "src/test/units-files/MSHARED-177");
+
+        List filters = new ArrayList();
+
+        filters.add(new File(testDir, "first_filter_file.properties").getAbsolutePath());
+        filters.add(new File(testDir, "second_filter_file.properties").getAbsolutePath());
+        filters.add(new File(testDir, "third_filter_file.properties").getAbsolutePath());
+
+        final Properties filterProperties = new Properties();
+
+        mavenFileFilter.loadProperties(filterProperties, filters, new Properties() );
+
+        assertTrue( filterProperties.getProperty( "third_filter_key" ).equals( "first and second" ) );
+    }
 }
Index: test/units-files/MSHARED-177/first_filter_file.properties
===================================================================
--- test/units-files/MSHARED-177/first_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
+++ test/units-files/MSHARED-177/first_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+#  under the License.
+first_filter_key=first
\ No newline at end of file
Index: test/units-files/MSHARED-177/second_filter_file.properties
===================================================================
--- test/units-files/MSHARED-177/second_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
+++ test/units-files/MSHARED-177/second_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+#  under the License.
+second_filter_key=second
+
+
Index: test/units-files/MSHARED-177/third_filter_file.properties
===================================================================
--- test/units-files/MSHARED-177/third_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
+++ test/units-files/MSHARED-177/third_filter_file.properties	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+#  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+#  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+#  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+#  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+#  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+#  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+#  limitations under the License.
+#  under the License.
+third_filter_key=${first_filter_key} and ${second_filter_key}