diff --git a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/NewSessionPayload.java b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/NewSessionPayload.java
index ff43dc1a420a4..d034327cafaef 100644
--- a/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/NewSessionPayload.java
+++ b/java/client/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/NewSessionPayload.java
@@ -219,8 +219,7 @@ public void writeTo(Appendable appendable) throws IOException {
 
       Map<String, Object> first = getOss();
       if (first == null) {
-        //noinspection unchecked
-        first = (Map<String, Object>) stream().findFirst()
+        first = stream().findFirst()
             .orElse(new ImmutableCapabilities())
             .asMap();
       }
@@ -246,10 +245,36 @@ public void writeTo(Appendable appendable) throws IOException {
       json.endArray();
 
       json.endObject();  // Close "capabilities" object
+
+      writeMetaData(json);
+
       json.endObject();
     }
   }
 
+  private void writeMetaData(JsonOutput out) throws IOException {
+    CharSource charSource = backingStore.asByteSource().asCharSource(UTF_8);
+    try (Reader reader = charSource.openBufferedStream();
+         JsonInput input = json.newInput(reader)) {
+      input.beginObject();
+      while (input.hasNext()) {
+        String name = input.nextName();
+        switch (name) {
+          case "capabilities":
+          case "desiredCapabilities":
+          case "requiredCapabilities":
+            input.skipValue();
+            break;
+
+          default:
+            out.name(name);
+            out.write(input.<Object>read(Object.class), Object.class);
+            break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   private void streamW3CProtocolParameters(JsonOutput out, Map<String, Object> des) {
     // Technically we should be building up a combination of "alwaysMatch" and "firstMatch" options.
     // We're going to do a little processing to figure out what we might be able to do, and assume
diff --git a/java/server/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/server/NewSessionPayloadTest.java b/java/server/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/server/NewSessionPayloadTest.java
index 0033ce93f1eb6..157ae9de4ecdd 100644
--- a/java/server/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/server/NewSessionPayloadTest.java
+++ b/java/server/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/server/NewSessionPayloadTest.java
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
+import static org.openqa.selenium.json.Json.MAP_TYPE;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
@@ -211,6 +213,34 @@ public void convertEverythingToFirstMatchOnlyifPayloadContainsAlwaysMatchSection
                  capabilities);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void forwardsMetaDataAssociatedWithARequest() throws IOException {
+    try (NewSessionPayload payload = NewSessionPayload.create(    ImmutableMap.of(
+        "desiredCapabilities", ImmutableMap.of(),
+        "cloud:user", "bob",
+        "cloud:key", "there is no cake"))) {
+      StringBuilder toParse = new StringBuilder();
+      payload.writeTo(toParse);
+      Map<String, Object> seen = new Json().toType(toParse.toString(), MAP_TYPE);
+
+      assertEquals("bob", seen.get("cloud:user"));
+      assertEquals("there is no cake", seen.get("cloud:key"));
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void doesNotForwardRequiredCapabilitiesAsTheseAreVeryLegacy() throws IOException {
+    try (NewSessionPayload payload = NewSessionPayload.create(    ImmutableMap.of(
+        "capabilities", ImmutableMap.of(),
+        "requiredCapabilities", ImmutableMap.of("key", "so it's not empty")))) {
+      StringBuilder toParse = new StringBuilder();
+      payload.writeTo(toParse);
+      Map<String, Object> seen = new Json().toType(toParse.toString(), MAP_TYPE);
+
+      assertNull(seen.get("requiredCapabilities"));
+    }
+  }
+
   private List<Capabilities> create(Map<String, ?> source) throws IOException {
     List<Capabilities> presumablyFromMemory;
     List<Capabilities> fromDisk;