diff --git a/maven-plugin-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/annotations/Component.java b/maven-plugin-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/annotations/Component.java
index 0339cdf..121041f 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/annotations/Component.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/annotations/Component.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public @interface Component
      * role of the component to inject.
      * @return the role
      */
-    String role() default "";
+    Class<?> role() default Object.class;
 
     /**
      * role-hint of the component to inject.
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-from-deps/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-from-deps/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
index 491f0c1..3ce0801 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-from-deps/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-from-deps/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.LifecyclePhase;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Mojo;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.tools.plugin.annotations.FooMojo;
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper;
 
 /**
  * Touches a test file.
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ public class FirstMojo
     @Parameter( alias = "alias" )
     private String aliasedParam;
 
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper" )// , roleHint = "default"
+    @Component( role = MavenProjectHelper.class )// , roleHint = "default"
     private Object projectHelper;
 
     public void execute()
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-abstract-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/AbstractFirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-abstract-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/AbstractFirstMojo.java
index 87ad0dc..775e12c 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-abstract-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/AbstractFirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-abstract-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/AbstractFirstMojo.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFirstMojo
     /**
      *
      */
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.artifact.metadata.ArtifactMetadataSource", roleHint = "maven" )
+    @Component( role = ArtifactMetadataSource.class, roleHint = "maven" )
     protected ArtifactMetadataSource artifactMetadataSource;
 
 }
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
index 02cf832..b0b40fe 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance-reactor/module-mojo/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.LifecyclePhase;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Mojo;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.AbstractFirstMojo;
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper;
 
 /**
  * Touches a test file.
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ public class FirstMojo
     @Parameter( alias = "alias" )
     private String aliasedParam;
 
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper" )
+    @Component( role = MavenProjectHelper.class )
     private Object projectHelper;
 
     public void execute()
@@ -69,6 +70,10 @@ public class FirstMojo
         {
             throw new MojoExecutionException( "compilerManager == null" );
         }
+        if (! ( projectHelper instanceof MavenProjectHelper ))
+        {
+            throw new MojoExecutionException( "! projectHelper instanceof MavenProjectHelper" );
+        }
 
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/AbstractFirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/AbstractFirstMojo.java
index f0a1263..d05639c 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/AbstractFirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/AbstractFirstMojo.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFirstMojo
     /**
      *
      */
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.artifact.metadata.ArtifactMetadataSource", roleHint = "maven" )
+    @Component( role = ArtifactMetadataSource.class, roleHint = "maven" )
     protected ArtifactMetadataSource artifactMetadataSource;
 
 }
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
index 15dd982..e88906e 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/annotation-with-inheritance/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Execute;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.LifecyclePhase;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Mojo;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper;
 
 import java.util.Set;
 
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ public class FirstMojo
     @Parameter( alias = "alias" )
     private String aliasedParam;
 
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper" )//, roleHint = "default"
+    @Component( role = MavenProjectHelper.class )//, roleHint = "default"
     private Object projectHelper;
 
     @Parameter( defaultValue = "${project.artifacts}", required = true, readonly = true )
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/pom.xml b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/pom.xml
index 7f14216..f814d86 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/pom.xml
@@ -44,11 +44,15 @@ under the License.
       <artifactId>maven-plugin-api</artifactId>
       <version>2.0</version>
     </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
+      <artifactId>maven-project</artifactId>
+      <version>2.0</version>
+    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.codehaus.plexus</groupId>
       <artifactId>plexus-utils</artifactId>
       <version>3.0.1</version>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugin-tools</groupId>
diff --git a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
index f5814a3..e78a4cd 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-plugin/src/it/java-basic-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/coreit/FirstMojo.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Execute;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.LifecyclePhase;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Mojo;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper;
 
 import java.io.File;
 
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ public class FirstMojo
     @Parameter( alias = "alias" )
     private String aliasedParam;
 
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.project.MavenProjectHelper", roleHint = "test" )
+    @Component( role = MavenProjectHelper.class, roleHint = "test" )
     private Object projectHelper;
 
     public void execute()
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor.java b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor.java
index 4413946..8064e47 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor.java
@@ -525,8 +525,9 @@ public class JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor
                 if ( StringUtils.contains( property, '$' ) || StringUtils.contains( property, '{' )
                     || StringUtils.contains( property, '}' ) )
                 {
-                    throw new InvalidParameterException( "Invalid property for parameter '" + parameter.getName() + "', "
-                                                         + "forbidden characters ${}: " + property, null );
+                    throw new InvalidParameterException(
+                        "Invalid property for parameter '" + parameter.getName() + "', " + "forbidden characters ${}: "
+                            + property, null );
                 }
                 parameter.setExpression( StringUtils.isEmpty( property ) ? "" : "${" + property + "}" );
                 parameter.setType( parameterAnnotationContent.getClassName() );
@@ -546,8 +547,8 @@ public class JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor
                 org.apache.maven.plugin.descriptor.Parameter parameter =
                     new org.apache.maven.plugin.descriptor.Parameter();
                 parameter.setName( componentAnnotationContent.getFieldName() );
-                parameter.setRequirement(
-                    new Requirement( componentAnnotationContent.role(), componentAnnotationContent.roleHint() ) );
+                parameter.setRequirement( new Requirement( componentAnnotationContent.getRoleClassName(),
+                                                           componentAnnotationContent.roleHint() ) );
                 parameter.setDeprecated( componentAnnotationContent.getDeprecated() );
                 parameter.setSince( componentAnnotationContent.getSince() );
 
@@ -671,8 +672,8 @@ public class JavaAnnotationsMojoDescriptorExtractor
         {
             return null;
         }
-        @SuppressWarnings( "unchecked" )
-        Collection<MavenProject> mavenProjects = project.getProjectReferences().values();
+        @SuppressWarnings( "unchecked" ) Collection<MavenProject> mavenProjects =
+            project.getProjectReferences().values();
         for ( MavenProject mavenProject : mavenProjects )
         {
             if ( StringUtils.equals( mavenProject.getId(), artifact.getId() ) )
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/datamodel/ComponentAnnotationContent.java b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/datamodel/ComponentAnnotationContent.java
index b649a3b..e2e069d 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/datamodel/ComponentAnnotationContent.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/datamodel/ComponentAnnotationContent.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ public class ComponentAnnotationContent
     extends AnnotatedField
     implements Component
 {
-    private String role;
+    private String roleClassName;
 
     private String roleHint;
 
@@ -43,18 +43,24 @@ public class ComponentAnnotationContent
     public ComponentAnnotationContent( String fieldName, String role, String roleHint )
     {
         this( fieldName );
-        this.role = role;
+        this.roleClassName = role;
         this.roleHint = roleHint;
     }
 
-    public String role()
+    public Class<?> role()
     {
-        return role == null ? "" : role;
+        // not used
+        return null;
     }
 
-    public void role( String role )
+    public void setRoleClassName( String roleClassName )
     {
-        this.role = role;
+        this.roleClassName = roleClassName;
+    }
+
+    public String getRoleClassName()
+    {
+        return roleClassName;
     }
 
     public String roleHint()
@@ -78,7 +84,7 @@ public class ComponentAnnotationContent
         final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
         sb.append( super.toString() );
         sb.append( "ComponentAnnotationContent" );
-        sb.append( "{role='" ).append( role ).append( '\'' );
+        sb.append( "{role='" ).append( roleClassName ).append( '\'' );
         sb.append( ", roleHint='" ).append( roleHint ).append( '\'' );
         sb.append( '}' );
         return sb.toString();
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/scanner/DefaultMojoAnnotationsScanner.java b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/scanner/DefaultMojoAnnotationsScanner.java
index fb1daef..67d737f 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/scanner/DefaultMojoAnnotationsScanner.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/scanner/DefaultMojoAnnotationsScanner.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import org.codehaus.plexus.util.IOUtil;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.reflection.Reflector;
 import org.objectweb.asm.ClassReader;
+import org.objectweb.asm.Type;
 
 import java.io.BufferedInputStream;
 import java.io.File;
@@ -302,12 +303,21 @@ public class DefaultMojoAnnotationsScanner
                 {
                     for ( Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : mojoFieldVisitor.getMojoAnnotationVisitor().getAnnotationValues().entrySet() )
                     {
-                        reflector.invoke( componentAnnotationContent, entry.getKey(),
-                                          new Object[]{ entry.getValue() } );
+                        String methodName = entry.getKey();
+                        if ( StringUtils.equals( "role", methodName ) )
+                        {
+                            Type type = (Type) entry.getValue();
+                            componentAnnotationContent.setRoleClassName( type.getClassName() );
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            reflector.invoke( componentAnnotationContent, entry.getKey(),
+                                              new Object[]{ entry.getValue() } );
+                        }
                     }
-                    if ( StringUtils.isEmpty( componentAnnotationContent.role() ) )
+                    if ( StringUtils.isEmpty( componentAnnotationContent.getRoleClassName() ) )
                     {
-                        componentAnnotationContent.role( mojoFieldVisitor.getClassName() );
+                        componentAnnotationContent.setRoleClassName( mojoFieldVisitor.getClassName() );
                     }
                 }
                 mojoClassVisitor.getMojoAnnotatedClass().getComponents().put( componentAnnotationContent.getFieldName(),
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/FooMojo.java b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/FooMojo.java
index 15b0add..a559325 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/FooMojo.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-annotations/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/annotations/FooMojo.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class FooMojo
     /**
      *
      */
-    @Component( role = "org.apache.maven.artifact.metadata.ArtifactMetadataSource", roleHint = "maven" )
+    @Component( role = ArtifactMetadataSource.class, roleHint = "maven" )
     protected ArtifactMetadataSource artifactMetadataSource;
 
     public void execute()