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..89a0ef4a 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
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 
 	private final String testSourceDirectory;
 
+	private final String defaultGoal;
+
 	protected MavenBuildSettings(Builder builder) {
 		super(builder);
 		this.parent = builder.parent;
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 		this.finalName = builder.finalName;
 		this.sourceDirectory = builder.sourceDirectory;
 		this.testSourceDirectory = builder.testSourceDirectory;
+		this.defaultGoal = builder.defaultGoal;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -151,6 +154,14 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 		return this.testSourceDirectory;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Return the default goal to execute when none is specified for the project.
+	 * @return the default goal or {@code null} to use the default
+	 */
+	public String getDefaultGoal() {
+		return this.defaultGoal;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Builder for a Maven dependency.
 	 *
@@ -178,6 +189,8 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 
 		private String testSourceDirectory;
 
+		private String defaultGoal;
+
 		public Builder() {
 		}
 
@@ -298,6 +311,16 @@ public class MavenBuildSettings extends BuildSettings {
 			return self();
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Set the default goal to execute when none is specified for the project.
+		 * @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();
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public MavenBuildSettings build() {
 			return new MavenBuildSettings(this);
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..3140a3b8 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
@@ -305,12 +305,13 @@ 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()) {
+				&& settings.getTestSourceDirectory() == null && settings.getDefaultGoal() == 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/MavenBuildTests.java b/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildTests.java
index 33b5029f..7ddb7b18 100644
--- a/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildTests.java
+++ b/initializr-generator/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/buildsystem/maven/MavenBuildTests.java
@@ -139,4 +139,11 @@ class MavenBuildTests {
 				.hasOnlyOneElementSatisfying((testPlugin) -> assertThat(testPlugin.isExtensions()).isTrue());
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void mavenDefaultGoalCanBeCustomized() {
+		MavenBuild build = new MavenBuild();
+		build.settings().defaultGoal("clean package");
+		assertThat(build.getSettings().getDefaultGoal()).isEqualTo("clean package");
+	}
+
 }
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..bb2e31f5 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
@@ -802,6 +802,21 @@ 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"));
+	}
+
 	private void generatePom(MavenBuild mavenBuild, Consumer<NodeAssert> consumer) {
 		MavenBuildWriter writer = new MavenBuildWriter();
 		StringWriter out = new StringWriter();