--- maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/utils/AssemblyFormatUtils.java.sav	2010-11-28 16:25:17.000000000 +0100

+++ maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/utils/AssemblyFormatUtils.java	2010-11-28 16:27:43.000000000 +0100

@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@

             interpolator.addValueSource( new ObjectBasedValueSource( project ) );

         }

-        value = interpolator.interpolate( value, "__project" );

+        try {

+            value = interpolator.interpolate( value, "__project" );

+        } catch(Exception e) {

+        }

         if ( ( value.length() > 0 ) && !value.endsWith( "/" ) && !value.endsWith( "\\" ) )

         {

@@ -123,7 +126,11 @@

         interpolator.addValueSource( new PropertiesInterpolationValueSource( specialRules ) );

-        value = interpolator.interpolate( value, "__artifact" );

+        try {

+            value = interpolator.interpolate( value, "__artifact" );

+        } catch(Exception e) {

+            throw new AssemblyFormattingException( "cannot interpolate value: " + e.getMessage(), e );

+        }

         return value;

     }