diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersion.java b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersion.java
index 3443fd622c..c70e60175e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersion.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersion.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 @Value
@@ -88,10 +89,7 @@ public Xml.Document visitDocument(Xml.Document document, ExecutionContext ctx) {
                 Xml.Document d = super.visitDocument(document, ctx);
 
                 // Return early if the parent appears to be within the current repository, as properties defined there will be updated
-                if (d.getRoot().getChild("parent")
-                        .flatMap(parent -> parent.getChild("relativePath"))
-                        .flatMap(Xml.Tag::getValue)
-                        .isPresent()) {
+                if (isLocalParent(d)) {
                     return d;
                 }
 
@@ -142,6 +140,20 @@ public Xml.Tag visitTag(Xml.Tag tag, ExecutionContext ctx) {
                 }
                 return t;
             }
+
+            private boolean isLocalParent(Xml.Document d) {
+                Optional<Xml.Tag> relativePath = d.getRoot().getChild("parent")
+                    .flatMap(parent -> parent.getChild("relativePath"));
+                if (relativePath.flatMap(Xml.Tag::getValue).isPresent()) {
+                    // specified explicitly: `<relativePath>../../pom.xml<relativePath>>`
+                    return true;
+                } else {
+                    // no relative path, maven default is used, potentially `../pom.xml`
+                    // but parent exists, so not root `pom.xml`
+                    return !relativePath.isPresent() && getResolutionResult().getParent() != null;
+                }
+
+            }
         };
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersionTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersionTest.java
index 9262e9e05a..84eecb4624 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/java/migrate/maven/UpdateMavenProjectPropertyJavaVersionTest.java
@@ -194,6 +194,68 @@ void overrideRemoteParent() {
         );
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void doNotOverrideLocalParent() {
+        rewriteRun(
+            //language=xml
+            pomXml(
+                """
+                  <project>
+                      <groupId>com.example</groupId>
+                      <artifactId>example-parent</artifactId>
+                      <version>1.0.0</version>
+                      <modelVersion>4.0</modelVersion>
+                      <properties>
+                          <java.version>11</java.version>
+                          <jdk.version>11</jdk.version>
+                          <javaVersion>11</javaVersion>
+                          <jdkVersion>11</jdkVersion>
+                          <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+                          <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
+                          <maven.compiler.release>11</maven.compiler.release>
+                          <release.version>11</release.version>
+                      </properties>
+                  </project>
+                  """,
+                """
+                <project>
+                    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
+                    <artifactId>example-parent</artifactId>
+                    <version>1.0.0</version>
+                    <modelVersion>4.0</modelVersion>
+                    <properties>
+                        <java.version>17</java.version>
+                        <jdk.version>17</jdk.version>
+                        <javaVersion>17</javaVersion>
+                        <jdkVersion>17</jdkVersion>
+                        <maven.compiler.source>17</maven.compiler.source>
+                        <maven.compiler.target>17</maven.compiler.target>
+                        <maven.compiler.release>17</maven.compiler.release>
+                        <release.version>17</release.version>
+                    </properties>
+                </project>
+                """),
+            mavenProject("example-child",
+                //language=xml
+                pomXml(
+                    """
+                      <project>
+                          <parent>
+                              <groupId>com.example</groupId>
+                              <artifactId>example-parent</artifactId>
+                              <version>1.0.0</version>
+                          </parent>
+                          <groupId>com.example</groupId>
+                          <artifactId>example-child</artifactId>
+                          <version>1.0.0</version>
+                          <modelVersion>4.0</modelVersion>
+                      </project>
+                      """
+                )
+            )
+        );
+    }
+
     @Test
     void doNothingForExplicitPluginConfiguration() {
         // Use UseMavenCompilerPluginReleaseConfiguration for this case