diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/resources/remote/ModelUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/resources/remote/ModelUtils.java
index bc94f83..7d89bdd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/resources/remote/ModelUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/resources/remote/ModelUtils.java
@@ -105,16 +105,18 @@ public static void mergePluginLists(
                         parentPlugin.unsetInheritanceApplied();
                     }
                 }
+            }
 
-                // very important to use the parentPlugins List, rather than parentContainer.getPlugins()
-                // since this list is a local one, and may have been modified during processing.
-                List<Plugin> results =
-                        ModelUtils.orderAfterMerge(assembledPlugins, parentPlugins, childContainer.getPlugins());
+            // very important to use the parentPlugins List, rather than parentContainer.getPlugins()
+            // since this list is a local one, and may have been modified during processing.
+            // The ordering only depends on the final assembled plugins, so compute it once after
+            // the loop instead of on every iteration.
+            List<Plugin> results =
+                    ModelUtils.orderAfterMerge(assembledPlugins, parentPlugins, childContainer.getPlugins());
 
-                childContainer.setPlugins(results);
+            childContainer.setPlugins(results);
 
-                childContainer.flushPluginMap();
-            }
+            childContainer.flushPluginMap();
         }
     }