diff --git a/src/metadata/fabric/fabric-mod-metadata.ts b/src/metadata/fabric/fabric-mod-metadata.ts
index e1c8d73..016d52e 100644
--- a/src/metadata/fabric/fabric-mod-metadata.ts
+++ b/src/metadata/fabric/fabric-mod-metadata.ts
@@ -4,14 +4,16 @@ import Dependency from "../../metadata/dependency";
 import DependencyKind from "../../metadata/dependency-kind";
 import PublisherTarget from "../../publishing/publisher-target";
 
+const ignoredByDefault = ["minecraft", "java", "fabricloader"];
 function getDependenciesByKind(config: any, kind: DependencyKind): Dependency[] {
     const kindName = DependencyKind.toString(kind).toLowerCase();
     const dependencies = new Array<Dependency>();
     for (const [id, value] of Object.entries(config[kindName] || {})) {
+        const ignore = ignoredByDefault.includes(id);
         if (typeof value === "string") {
-            dependencies.push(Dependency.create({ id, kind, version: value }));
+            dependencies.push(Dependency.create({ id, kind, version: value, ignore }));
         } else {
-            dependencies.push(new ModConfigDependency({ ...<any>value, id, kind }));
+            dependencies.push(new ModConfigDependency({ ignore, ...<any>value, id, kind }));
         }
     }
     return dependencies;
diff --git a/src/metadata/forge/forge-mod-metadata.ts b/src/metadata/forge/forge-mod-metadata.ts
index f8cac50..23ed705 100644
--- a/src/metadata/forge/forge-mod-metadata.ts
+++ b/src/metadata/forge/forge-mod-metadata.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ import ModConfigDependency from "../../metadata/mod-config-dependency";
 import Dependency from "../../metadata/dependency";
 import DependencyKind from "../../metadata/dependency-kind";
 
+const ignoredByDefault = ["minecraft", "java", "forge"];
 function createDependency(body: any): Dependency {
     return new ModConfigDependency({
+        ignore: ignoredByDefault.includes(body.modId),
         ...body,
         id: body.modId,
         version: body.versionRange,
diff --git a/test/content/fabric.mod.json b/test/content/fabric.mod.json
index f4ed1b2..b6b0d1f 100644
--- a/test/content/fabric.mod.json
+++ b/test/content/fabric.mod.json
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
     "depends": {
       "fabricloader": ">=0.11.3",
-      "fabric": "*",
+      "fabric": ">=0.40.0",
       "minecraft": "1.17.x",
       "java": ">=16"
     },
diff --git a/test/content/mods.toml b/test/content/mods.toml
index 00141e2..124c7ae 100644
--- a/test/content/mods.toml
+++ b/test/content/mods.toml
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ license="MIT"
     ordering="NONE"
     side="BOTH"
 
+[[dependencies.example-mod]]
+    modId="java"
+    mandatory=true
+    versionRange="[16,)"
+    ordering="NONE"
+    side="BOTH"
+
 [[dependencies.example-mod]]
     modId="recommended-mod"
     mandatory=false
@@ -52,7 +59,7 @@ license="MIT"
     modId="included-mod"
     mandatory=false
     embedded=true
-    versionRange="*"
+    versionRange="[0.40.0, )"
     ordering="NONE"
     side="BOTH"
 
diff --git a/test/mod-metadata-reader.test.ts b/test/mod-metadata-reader.test.ts
index fa23b40..34cff9a 100644
--- a/test/mod-metadata-reader.test.ts
+++ b/test/mod-metadata-reader.test.ts
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ describe("ModMetadataReader.readMetadata", () => {
 
         test("dependency info can be read", async () => {
             const metadata = await ModMetadataReader.readMetadata("example-mod.fabric.jar");
-            const minecraft = metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "minecraft");
-            expect(minecraft).toBeTruthy();
-            expect(minecraft.id).toBe("minecraft");
-            expect(minecraft.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
-            expect(minecraft.version).toBe("1.17.x");
-            expect(minecraft.ignore).toBe(false);
+            const fabric = metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "fabric");
+            expect(fabric).toBeTruthy();
+            expect(fabric.id).toBe("fabric");
+            expect(fabric.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
+            expect(fabric.version).toBe(">=0.40.0");
+            expect(fabric.ignore).toBe(false);
             for (const project of PublisherTarget.getValues()) {
-                expect(minecraft.getProjectSlug(project)).toBe(minecraft.id);
+                expect(fabric.getProjectSlug(project)).toBe(fabric.id);
             }
         });
 
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ describe("ModMetadataReader.readMetadata", () => {
             expect(recommended.getProjectSlug(PublisherTarget.CurseForge)).toBe("42");
             expect(recommended.getProjectSlug(PublisherTarget.GitHub)).toBe("v0.2.0");
         });
+
+        test("special case dependencies (minecraft, java and fabricloader) are ignored by default", async () => {
+            const metadata = await ModMetadataReader.readMetadata("example-mod.fabric.jar");
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "minecraft").ignore).toBe(true);
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "java").ignore).toBe(true);
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "fabricloader").ignore).toBe(true);
+        });
     });
 
     describe("Forge", () => {
@@ -111,10 +118,11 @@ describe("ModMetadataReader.readMetadata", () => {
 
         test("all dependencies are read", async () => {
             const metadata = await ModMetadataReader.readMetadata("example-mod.forge.jar");
-            expect(metadata.dependencies).toHaveLength(5);
+            expect(metadata.dependencies).toHaveLength(6);
             const dependencies = metadata.dependencies.reduce((agg, x) => { agg[x.id] = x; return agg; }, <Record<string, Dependency>>{});
             expect(dependencies["forge"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
             expect(dependencies["minecraft"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
+            expect(dependencies["java"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
             expect(dependencies["recommended-mod"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Recommends);
             expect(dependencies["included-mod"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Includes);
             expect(dependencies["breaking-mod"]?.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Breaks);
@@ -122,14 +130,14 @@ describe("ModMetadataReader.readMetadata", () => {
 
         test("dependency info can be read", async () => {
             const metadata = await ModMetadataReader.readMetadata("example-mod.forge.jar");
-            const minecraft = metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "minecraft");
-            expect(minecraft).toBeTruthy();
-            expect(minecraft.id).toBe("minecraft");
-            expect(minecraft.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Depends);
-            expect(minecraft.version).toBe("[1.17, 1.18)");
-            expect(minecraft.ignore).toBe(false);
+            const included = metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "included-mod");
+            expect(included).toBeTruthy();
+            expect(included.id).toBe("included-mod");
+            expect(included.kind).toBe(DependencyKind.Includes);
+            expect(included.version).toBe("[0.40.0, )");
+            expect(included.ignore).toBe(false);
             for (const project of PublisherTarget.getValues()) {
-                expect(minecraft.getProjectSlug(project)).toBe(minecraft.id);
+                expect(included.getProjectSlug(project)).toBe(included.id);
             }
         });
 
@@ -145,6 +153,13 @@ describe("ModMetadataReader.readMetadata", () => {
             expect(recommended.getProjectSlug(PublisherTarget.CurseForge)).toBe("42");
             expect(recommended.getProjectSlug(PublisherTarget.GitHub)).toBe("v0.2.0");
         });
+
+        test("special case dependencies (minecraft, java and forge) are ignored by default", async () => {
+            const metadata = await ModMetadataReader.readMetadata("example-mod.forge.jar");
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "minecraft").ignore).toBe(true);
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "java").ignore).toBe(true);
+            expect(metadata.dependencies.find(x => x.id === "forge").ignore).toBe(true);
+        });
     });
 
     describe("unsupported mod formats", () => {