diff --git a/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/DefaultStarterBuildCustomizer.java b/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/DefaultStarterBuildCustomizer.java
index aad2c07c..624d445b 100644
--- a/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/DefaultStarterBuildCustomizer.java
+++ b/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/DefaultStarterBuildCustomizer.java
@@ -45,9 +45,8 @@ class DefaultStarterBuildCustomizer implements BuildCustomizer<Build> {
 	public void customize(Build build) {
 		boolean hasStarter = this.buildResolver.dependencies(build).anyMatch(this::isValidStarter);
 		if (!hasStarter) {
-			Dependency root = new Dependency();
+			Dependency root = Dependency.createSpringBootStarter("");
 			root.setId(DEFAULT_STARTER);
-			root.asSpringBootStarter("");
 			build.dependencies().add(DEFAULT_STARTER, MetadataBuildItemMapper.toDependency(root));
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer.java b/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer.java
index bcf5f991..3793c859 100644
--- a/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer.java
+++ b/initializr-generator-spring/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/generator/spring/build/WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer implements BuildCustomizer<Bu
 			build.dependencies().add(dependency.getId(), MetadataBuildItemMapper.toDependency(dependency));
 		}
 		// Add the tomcat starter in provided scope
-		Dependency tomcat = new Dependency().asSpringBootStarter("tomcat");
+		Dependency tomcat = Dependency.createSpringBootStarter("tomcat");
 		tomcat.setScope(Dependency.SCOPE_PROVIDED);
 		build.dependencies().add("tomcat", MetadataBuildItemMapper.toDependency(tomcat));
 	}
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class WarPackagingWebStarterBuildCustomizer implements BuildCustomizer<Bu
 
 	private Dependency determineWebDependency(InitializrMetadata metadata) {
 		Dependency web = metadata.getDependencies().get("web");
-		return (web != null) ? web : Dependency.withId("web").asSpringBootStarter("web");
+		return (web != null) ? web : Dependency.createSpringBootStarter("web");
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/initializr-metadata/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/Dependency.java b/initializr-metadata/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/Dependency.java
index cf7bdb5b..b0732956 100644
--- a/initializr-metadata/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/Dependency.java
+++ b/initializr-metadata/src/main/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/Dependency.java
@@ -165,21 +165,6 @@ public class Dependency extends MetadataElement implements Describable {
 		return this.groupId != null && this.artifactId != null;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Define this dependency as a standard spring boot starter with the specified name.
-	 * If no name is specified, the root "spring-boot-starter" is assumed.
-	 * @param name the starter name or {@code null}
-	 * @return this instance
-	 */
-	public Dependency asSpringBootStarter(String name) {
-		this.groupId = "org.springframework.boot";
-		this.artifactId = (StringUtils.hasText(name) ? "spring-boot-starter-" + name : "spring-boot-starter");
-		if (StringUtils.hasText(name)) {
-			setId(name);
-		}
-		return this;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Validate the dependency and complete its state based on the available information.
 	 */
@@ -213,6 +198,15 @@ public class Dependency extends MetadataElement implements Describable {
 		updateCompatibilityRange(VersionParser.DEFAULT);
 	}
 
+	private Dependency asSpringBootStarter(String name) {
+		this.groupId = "org.springframework.boot";
+		this.artifactId = (StringUtils.hasText(name) ? "spring-boot-starter-" + name : "spring-boot-starter");
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(name)) {
+			setId(name);
+		}
+		return this;
+	}
+
 	public void updateCompatibilityRange(VersionParser versionParser) {
 		if (this.compatibilityRange != null) {
 			try {
@@ -450,6 +444,19 @@ public class Dependency extends MetadataElement implements Describable {
 		return dependency;
 	}
 
+	public static Dependency createSpringBootStarter(String name) {
+		return createSpringBootStarter(name, null);
+	}
+
+	public static Dependency createSpringBootStarter(String name, String scope) {
+		Dependency dependency = new Dependency();
+		dependency.asSpringBootStarter(name);
+		if (StringUtils.hasText(scope)) {
+			dependency.setScope(scope);
+		}
+		return dependency;
+	}
+
 	public static Dependency withId(String id, String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String scope) {
 		Dependency dependency = new Dependency();
 		dependency.setId(id);
diff --git a/initializr-metadata/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/DependencyTests.java b/initializr-metadata/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/DependencyTests.java
index dd56a496..e7fcf8a8 100755
--- a/initializr-metadata/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/DependencyTests.java
+++ b/initializr-metadata/src/test/java/io/spring/initializr/metadata/DependencyTests.java
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ class DependencyTests {
 
 	@Test
 	void createRootSpringBootStarter() {
-		Dependency d = new Dependency();
-		d.asSpringBootStarter("");
+		Dependency d = Dependency.createSpringBootStarter("");
 		assertThat(d.getGroupId()).isEqualTo("org.springframework.boot");
 		assertThat(d.getArtifactId()).isEqualTo("spring-boot-starter");
 	}