diff --git a/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/impl/model/MavenModelMergerTest.java b/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/impl/model/MavenModelMergerTest.java
index d6bbdedbd5c4..bc943e6d6dbc 100644
--- a/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/impl/model/MavenModelMergerTest.java
+++ b/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/impl/model/MavenModelMergerTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 import java.util.Collections;
 
+import org.apache.maven.api.model.InputLocation;
+import org.apache.maven.api.model.InputSource;
 import org.apache.maven.api.model.Model;
 import org.apache.maven.api.model.Prerequisites;
 import org.apache.maven.api.model.Profile;
@@ -31,6 +33,37 @@
 class MavenModelMergerTest {
     private MavenModelMerger modelMerger = new MavenModelMerger();
 
+    @Test
+    void testMergeInputLocationCoordinates() {
+        InputLocation target = InputLocation.of(10, 20, InputSource.of("target", "target.xml"));
+        InputLocation source = InputLocation.of(30, 40, InputSource.of("source", "source.xml"));
+
+        assertCoordinates(30, 40, InputLocation.merge(target, source, true));
+        assertCoordinates(10, 20, InputLocation.merge(target, source, false));
+
+        InputLocation unknownTarget = InputLocation.of(-1, -1, target.getSource());
+        assertCoordinates(30, 40, InputLocation.merge(unknownTarget, source, false));
+
+        InputLocation unknownSource = InputLocation.of(-1, -1, source.getSource());
+        assertCoordinates(10, 20, InputLocation.merge(target, unknownSource, true));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testMergeListInputLocationCoordinates() {
+        InputLocation target = InputLocation.of(10, 20, InputSource.of("target", "target.xml"));
+        InputLocation source = InputLocation.of(30, 40, InputSource.of("source", "source.xml"));
+
+        assertCoordinates(10, 20, InputLocation.merge(target, source, Collections.emptyList()));
+
+        InputLocation unknownTarget = InputLocation.of(-1, -1, target.getSource());
+        assertCoordinates(30, 40, InputLocation.merge(unknownTarget, source, Collections.emptyList()));
+    }
+
+    private static void assertCoordinates(int lineNumber, int columnNumber, InputLocation location) {
+        assertEquals(lineNumber, location.getLineNumber());
+        assertEquals(columnNumber, location.getColumnNumber());
+    }
+
     // modelVersion is neither inherited nor injected
     @Test
     void testMergeModelModelVersion() {
diff --git a/src/mdo/java/InputLocation.java b/src/mdo/java/InputLocation.java
index c01343ad6760..d916f1985a43 100644
--- a/src/mdo/java/InputLocation.java
+++ b/src/mdo/java/InputLocation.java
@@ -315,9 +315,19 @@ public static InputLocation merge(InputLocation target, InputLocation source, bo
             locations.putAll(sourceDominant ? sourceLocations : targetLocations);
         }
 
+#if ( $isMavenModel )
+        InputLocation location = sourceDominant ? source : target;
+        if (location.getLineNumber() < 0 && location.getColumnNumber() < 0) {
+            location = sourceDominant ? target : source;
+        }
+#end
+
         return new InputLocation(
 #if ( $isMavenModel )
-                -1, -1, InputSource.merge(source.getSource(), target.getSource()), locations);
+                location.getLineNumber(),
+                location.getColumnNumber(),
+                InputSource.merge(source.getSource(), target.getSource()),
+                locations);
 #else
                 target.getLineNumber(), target.getColumnNumber(), target.getSource(), locations);
 #end
@@ -359,9 +369,19 @@ public static InputLocation merge(InputLocation target, InputLocation source, Co
             }
         }
 
+#if ( $isMavenModel )
+        InputLocation location = target;
+        if (location.getLineNumber() < 0 && location.getColumnNumber() < 0) {
+            location = source;
+        }
+#end
+
         return new InputLocation(
 #if ( $isMavenModel )
-                -1, -1, InputSource.merge(source.getSource(), target.getSource()), locations);
+                location.getLineNumber(),
+                location.getColumnNumber(),
+                InputSource.merge(source.getSource(), target.getSource()),
+                locations);
 #else
                 target.getLineNumber(), target.getColumnNumber(), target.getSource(), locations);
 #end