diff --git a/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/MavenMetadata.java b/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/MavenMetadata.java
index 2f924d4d4..3db90e94f 100644
--- a/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/MavenMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/MavenMetadata.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 import java.io.Writer;
 
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.Metadata;
-import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.Versioning;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.io.xpp3.MetadataXpp3Reader;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.io.xpp3.MetadataXpp3Writer;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.IOUtil;
@@ -81,24 +80,7 @@ public boolean isMerged()
         return merged;
     }
 
-    protected void merge( Metadata recessive )
-    {
-        Versioning versioning = recessive.getVersioning();
-        if ( versioning != null )
-        {
-            versioning.setLastUpdated( null );
-        }
-
-        Metadata dominant = metadata;
-
-        versioning = dominant.getVersioning();
-        if ( versioning != null )
-        {
-            versioning.updateTimestamp();
-        }
-
-        dominant.merge( recessive );
-    }
+    protected abstract void merge( Metadata recessive );
 
     private Metadata read( File metadataFile )
         throws RepositoryException
diff --git a/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java b/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
index 16eafecab..139e5f8c9 100644
--- a/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
+++ b/maven-aether-provider/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/VersionsMetadata.java
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
  */
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.Metadata;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.metadata.Versioning;
@@ -68,6 +71,29 @@ private static Metadata createMetadata( Artifact artifact )
         return metadata;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected void merge( Metadata recessive )
+    {
+        Versioning versioning = metadata.getVersioning();
+        versioning.updateTimestamp();
+
+        if ( recessive.getVersioning() != null )
+        {
+            if ( versioning.getLatest() == null )
+            {
+                versioning.setLatest( recessive.getVersioning().getLatest() );
+            }
+            if ( versioning.getRelease() == null )
+            {
+                versioning.setRelease( recessive.getVersioning().getRelease() );
+            }
+
+            Collection<String> versions = new LinkedHashSet<String>( recessive.getVersioning().getVersions() );
+            versions.addAll( versioning.getVersions() );
+            versioning.setVersions( new ArrayList<String>( versions ) );
+        }
+    }
+
     public Object getKey()
     {
         return getGroupId() + ':' + getArtifactId();