diff --git a/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildSettings.java b/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildSettings.java
index 1d02f3c9..8b21fe89 100644
--- a/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildSettings.java
+++ b/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildSettings.java
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 
 	private final MavenScm scm;
 
+	private final String defaultGoal;
+
 	private final String finalName;
 
 	private final String sourceDirectory;
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 		this.licenses = Collections.unmodifiableList(new ArrayList<>(builder.licenses));
 		this.developers = Collections.unmodifiableList(new ArrayList<>(builder.developers));
 		this.scm = builder.scm.build();
+		this.defaultGoal = builder.defaultGoal;
 		this.finalName = builder.finalName;
 		this.sourceDirectory = builder.sourceDirectory;
 		this.testSourceDirectory = builder.testSourceDirectory;
@@ -125,6 +128,14 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 		return this.scm;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Return the default goal or phase to execute if none is given.
+	 * @return the default goal or {@code null} to use the default
+	 */
+	public String getDefaultGoal() {
+		return this.defaultGoal;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Return the final name of the artifact.
 	 * @return the final name or {@code null} to use the default
@@ -172,6 +183,8 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 
 		private final MavenScm.Builder scm = new MavenScm.Builder();
 
+		private String defaultGoal;
+
 		private String finalName;
 
 		private String sourceDirectory;
@@ -274,6 +287,16 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 			return self();
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Set the default goal or phase to execute if none is given.
+		 * @param defaultGoal the default goal or {@code null} to use the default
+		 * @return this for method chaining
+		 */
+		public Builder defaultGoal(String defaultGoal) {
+			this.defaultGoal = defaultGoal;
+			return self();
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * Set the the location of main source code. Can use Maven properties such as
 		 * {@code ${basedir}}.
diff --git a/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriter.java b/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriter.java
index 296c0d16..7c71d198 100644
--- a/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriter.java
+++ b/initializr-generator/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriter.java
@@ -304,13 +304,14 @@ public class MavenBuildWriter {
 
 	private void writeBuild(IndentingWriter writer, MavenBuild build) {
 		MavenBuildSettings settings = build.getSettings();
-		if (settings.getFinalName() == null && settings.getSourceDirectory() == null
-				&& settings.getTestSourceDirectory() == null && build.resources().isEmpty()
-				&& build.testResources().isEmpty() && build.plugins().isEmpty()) {
+		if (settings.getDefaultGoal() == null && settings.getFinalName() == null
+				&& settings.getSourceDirectory() == null && settings.getTestSourceDirectory() == null
+				&& build.resources().isEmpty() && build.testResources().isEmpty() && build.plugins().isEmpty()) {
 			return;
 		}
 		writer.println();
 		writeElement(writer, "build", () -> {
+			writeSingleElement(writer, "defaultGoal", settings.getDefaultGoal());
 			writeSingleElement(writer, "finalName", settings.getFinalName());
 			writeSingleElement(writer, "sourceDirectory", settings.getSourceDirectory());
 			writeSingleElement(writer, "testSourceDirectory", settings.getTestSourceDirectory());
diff --git a/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriterTests.java b/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriterTests.java
index 677c1713..fa86d6dc 100644
--- a/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriterTests.java
+++ b/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildWriterTests.java
@@ -672,6 +672,21 @@ class MavenBuildWriterTests {
 		});
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void pomWithNoDefaultGoal() {
+		MavenBuild build = new MavenBuild();
+		build.settings().coordinates("com.example.demo", "demo").build();
+		generatePom(build, (pom) -> assertThat(pom.nodeAtPath("/project/build/defaultGoal")).isNull());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	void pomWithDefaultGoal() {
+		MavenBuild build = new MavenBuild();
+		build.settings().coordinates("com.example.demo", "demo").defaultGoal("clean package");
+		generatePom(build,
+				(pom) -> assertThat(pom).textAtPath("/project/build/defaultGoal").isEqualTo("clean package"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void pomWithNoFinalName() {
 		MavenBuild build = new MavenBuild();