diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/DefaultExtValCoreConfiguration.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/DefaultExtValCoreConfiguration.java
index 4713246..8d860db 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/DefaultExtValCoreConfiguration.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/DefaultExtValCoreConfiguration.java
@@ -495,4 +495,14 @@
     {
         return !"false".equalsIgnoreCase(WebXmlParameter.VALIDATE_EMPTY_FIELDS);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     * Value taken from the Web.xml initialization parameter ACTIVATE_MARKUP_META_DATA.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public boolean activateMarkupMetaData()
+    {
+        return "true".equalsIgnoreCase(WebXmlParameter.ACTIVATE_MARKUP_META_DATA);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/ExtValCoreConfiguration.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/ExtValCoreConfiguration.java
index cbbc0cd..44ced97 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/ExtValCoreConfiguration.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/ExtValCoreConfiguration.java
@@ -628,4 +628,16 @@
      * @return false for using the default behavior of JSF 2.0
      */
     public abstract boolean validateEmptyFields();
+
+    /**
+     * @since r6
+     */
+
+    /**
+     * Per default component initialization overrules properties of the component.
+     * With activating markup meta-data it's possible to overrule the meta-data of the constraints with the meta-data
+     * of the component.
+     * @return true to overrule constraint meta-data with meta-data provided by the component, false otherwise
+     */
+    public abstract boolean activateMarkupMetaData();
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/WebXmlParameter.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/WebXmlParameter.java
index 20d24af..118a804 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/WebXmlParameter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/WebXmlParameter.java
@@ -118,10 +118,20 @@
     static final String ACTIVATE_REQUIRED_INITIALIZATION = WebXmlUtils
         .getInitParameter("ACTIVATE_REQUIRED_INITIALIZATION");
 
+    /**
+     * Per default component initialization overrules properties of the component.
+     * With activating markup meta-data it's possible to overrule the meta-data of the constraints with the meta-data
+     * of the component.
+     * 
+     * @since r6
+     */
+    static final String ACTIVATE_MARKUP_META_DATA = WebXmlUtils
+        .getInitParameter("ACTIVATE_MARKUP_META_DATA");
+
     /*
      * deactivate
      */
-    /**
+    /*
      * @since r4
      */
     static final String DEACTIVATE_REQUIRED_ATTRIBUTE_SUPPORT = WebXmlUtils
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/initializer/component/AbstractHtmlCoreComponentsComponentInitializer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/initializer/component/AbstractHtmlCoreComponentsComponentInitializer.java
index 3816d29..609c945 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/initializer/component/AbstractHtmlCoreComponentsComponentInitializer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/myfaces/extensions/validator/core/initializer/component/AbstractHtmlCoreComponentsComponentInitializer.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.core.initializer.component;
 
+import org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.core.ExtValContext;
+import org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.core.ExtValCoreConfiguration;
 import org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.internal.UsageInformation;
 import org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.internal.UsageCategory;
 import org.apache.myfaces.extensions.validator.internal.ToDo;
@@ -50,6 +52,11 @@
 @UsageInformation(UsageCategory.REUSE)
 public abstract class AbstractHtmlCoreComponentsComponentInitializer implements ComponentInitializer
 {
+    //short because it influences the state
+    protected static final String INITIAL_MARKUP_META_DATA_KEY = "OAM_EV_MARKUP_METADATA";
+
+    protected Boolean forceComponentInitialization;
+
     /**
      * If the component is one of the standard input components, the max length attribute is configured and the
      * required attribute is configured (if empty field validation and required initialization is activated)
@@ -165,16 +172,70 @@
             {
                 return;
             }
+
+            init(); //lazy init
+
             if(uiComponent instanceof HtmlInputText)
             {
                 HtmlInputText htmlInputText = (HtmlInputText)uiComponent;
-                htmlInputText.setMaxlength((Integer)maxLength);
+
+                if (this.forceComponentInitialization)
+                {
+                    htmlInputText.setMaxlength((Integer) maxLength);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Integer initialMaxLength = (Integer)
+                        htmlInputText.getAttributes().get(INITIAL_MARKUP_META_DATA_KEY);
+
+                    if (initialMaxLength == null)
+                    {
+                        initialMaxLength = htmlInputText.getMaxlength(); //value overriden by the component
+                        htmlInputText.getAttributes().put(INITIAL_MARKUP_META_DATA_KEY, initialMaxLength);
+                    }
+
+                    // only override maxlength if not already set by xhtml definition
+                    if (initialMaxLength <= 0)
+                    {
+                        htmlInputText.setMaxlength((Integer) maxLength);
+                    }
+                }
             }
             else if(uiComponent instanceof HtmlInputSecret)
             {
                 HtmlInputSecret htmlInputSecret = (HtmlInputSecret)uiComponent;
-                htmlInputSecret.setMaxlength((Integer)maxLength);
+
+                if (this.forceComponentInitialization)
+                {
+                    htmlInputSecret.setMaxlength((Integer)maxLength);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Integer initialMaxLength = (Integer)
+                        htmlInputSecret.getAttributes().get(INITIAL_MARKUP_META_DATA_KEY);
+
+                    if (initialMaxLength == null)
+                    {
+                        initialMaxLength = htmlInputSecret.getMaxlength(); //value overriden by the component
+                        htmlInputSecret.getAttributes().put(INITIAL_MARKUP_META_DATA_KEY, initialMaxLength);
+                    }
+
+                    // only override maxlength if not already set by xhtml definition
+                    if (initialMaxLength <= 0)
+                    {
+                        htmlInputSecret.setMaxlength((Integer) maxLength);
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
+
+    protected void init()
+    {
+        if (this.forceComponentInitialization == null)
+        {
+            this.forceComponentInitialization = !ExtValContext.getContext()
+                .getModuleConfiguration(ExtValCoreConfiguration.class).activateMarkupMetaData();
+        }
+    }
 }