--- maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/format/FileFormatter.java.sav	2010-11-28 16:15:25.000000000 +0100

+++ maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/format/FileFormatter.java	2010-11-28 16:17:43.000000000 +0100

@@ -163,8 +163,12 @@

         interpolator.addValueSource( new MapBasedValueSource( filterProperties ) );

         interpolator.addValueSource( new ObjectBasedValueSource( configSource.getProject() ) );

-        contents = interpolator.interpolate( contents, "project" );

-

+        try {

+            contents = interpolator.interpolate( contents, "project" );

+        } catch(Exception e) {

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

+        }

+ 

         return contents;

     }