Maven "Failed to read artifact descriptor" - Fix in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

To resolve a dependency, Maven first reads its POM (the "artifact descriptor"). This error means it could not fetch or parse that POM - the descriptor is missing, corrupt in ~/.m2, or its own parent/repo is unreachable.

What this error means

Resolution fails early with Failed to read artifact descriptor for <groupId>:<artifactId>:<packaging>:<version>, often followed by a Could not transfer or Could not find cause for the dependency’s POM.

mvn output

[ERROR] Failed to execute goal on project app: Could not resolve dependencies
for project com.example:app:jar:1.0.0:
Failed to read artifact descriptor for com.example:lib:jar:2.3.1:
Could not transfer artifact com.example:lib:pom:2.3.1 from/to central: Connection reset

Common causes

Corrupt or truncated POM in the local repo

An interrupted download can leave a half-written .pom in ~/.m2. Maven then cannot parse the descriptor and fails before downloading the jar.

Dependency POM or its parent is unreachable

The descriptor references a parent POM or a repository Maven cannot reach. The jar might exist, but without a readable POM resolution stops.

How to fix it

Purge the bad descriptor and re-resolve

Remove the offending path from the local repo and force a fresh fetch of the POM.

Terminal

rm -rf ~/.m2/repository/com/example/lib/2.3.1
mvn -U -B dependency:resolve

Ensure the descriptor’s repo and parent resolve

Run mvn -X dependency:resolve to see exactly which POM (and which repo) failed.
If the descriptor’s parent lives on a private repo, declare that repository.
For a transient transfer error, enable wagon retries so a single blip does not fail the read.

How to prevent it

Avoid persisting ~/.m2 from interrupted/OOM-killed runs that can truncate POMs.
Declare every repository a dependency descriptor needs, including for its parent.
Set -Dmaven.wagon.http.retryHandler.count so a transient POM transfer retries.

Frequently asked questions

What causes ""Failed to read artifact descriptor""?

An interrupted download can leave a half-written .pom in ~/.m2. Maven then cannot parse the descriptor and fails before downloading the jar.

How do I fix "Failed to read artifact descriptor"?