diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/context/IdeContext.java b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/context/IdeContext.java
index 0a87eb864..361e3a0b2 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/context/IdeContext.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/context/IdeContext.java
@@ -445,6 +445,19 @@ default String getMavenArgs() {
 
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @return the String value for the variable M2_REPO, or null if called outside an IDEasy installation.
+   */
+  default String getMavenRepoEnvVariable() {
+
+    if (getIdeHome() != null) {
+      Path m2Repo = getConfPath().resolve(Mvn.M2_CONFIG_FOLDER).resolve("repository");
+      return m2Repo.toString();
+    }
+    return null;
+
+  }
+
   /**
    * Updates the current working directory (CWD) and configures the environment paths according to the specified parameters. This method is central to changing
    * the IDE's notion of where it operates, affecting where configurations, workspaces, settings, and other resources are located or loaded from.
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/tool/mvn/Mvn.java b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/tool/mvn/Mvn.java
index 66132d649..607b513fb 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/tool/mvn/Mvn.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/tool/mvn/Mvn.java
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ public class Mvn extends PluginBasedCommandlet {
   /** The name of the settings.xml */
   public static final String SETTINGS_FILE = "settings.xml";
 
-  private static final String M2_CONFIG_FOLDER = ".m2";
+  /** The name of the m2 repository */
+  public static final String M2_CONFIG_FOLDER = ".m2";
 
   private static final String SETTINGS_SECURITY_FILE = "settings-security.xml";
 
diff --git a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/variable/IdeVariables.java b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/variable/IdeVariables.java
index 396939a53..059f8b9fd 100644
--- a/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/variable/IdeVariables.java
+++ b/cli/src/main/java/com/devonfw/tools/ide/variable/IdeVariables.java
@@ -41,9 +41,12 @@ public interface IdeVariables {
   /** {@link VariableDefinition} for version of maven (mvn). */
   VariableDefinitionVersion MVN_VERSION = new VariableDefinitionVersion("MVN_VERSION", "MAVEN_VERSION");
 
-  /** {@link VariableDefinition} arguments for maven to set the m2 repo location. */
+  /** {@link VariableDefinition} arguments for maven to locate the settings file. */
   VariableDefinitionString MAVEN_ARGS = new VariableDefinitionString("MAVEN_ARGS", null, c -> c.getMavenArgs(), false, true);
 
+  /** {@link VariableDefinition} arguments for maven to set the m2 repo location. */
+  VariableDefinitionString M2_REPO = new VariableDefinitionString("M2_REPO", null, c -> c.getMavenRepoEnvVariable(), false, true);
+
   /** {@link VariableDefinition} for {@link com.devonfw.tools.ide.context.IdeContext#getWorkspaceName() WORKSPACE}. */
   VariableDefinitionString DOCKER_EDITION = new VariableDefinitionString("DOCKER_EDITION", null, c -> "rancher");
 
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ public interface IdeVariables {
 
   /** A {@link Collection} with all pre-defined {@link VariableDefinition}s. */
   Collection<VariableDefinition<?>> VARIABLES = List.of(PATH, HOME, WORKSPACE_PATH, IDE_HOME, IDE_ROOT, WORKSPACE, IDE_TOOLS, CREATE_START_SCRIPTS,
-      IDE_MIN_VERSION, MVN_VERSION, DOCKER_EDITION, JASYPT_OPTS, MAVEN_ARGS, PROJECT_NAME);
+      IDE_MIN_VERSION, MVN_VERSION, M2_REPO, DOCKER_EDITION, JASYPT_OPTS, MAVEN_ARGS, PROJECT_NAME);
 
   /**
    * @param name the name of the requested {@link VariableDefinition}.