--- maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/utils/PropertyUtils.java.sav	2010-11-28 16:02:34.000000000 +0100

+++ maven2-plugins/maven-assembly-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/assembly/utils/PropertyUtils.java	2010-11-28 16:06:17.000000000 +0100

@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@

         for ( Enumeration n = props.propertyNames(); n.hasMoreElements(); )

         {

             String key = (String) n.nextElement();

-            String value = interpolator.interpolate( props.getProperty( key ), "__properties" );

+            String value = null;

+            try {

+                value = interpolator.interpolate( props.getProperty( key ), "__properties" );

+            } catch(Exception e) {

+                throw new IOException( "cannot interpolate property: " + e.getMessage(), e );

+            }

             props.setProperty( key, value );

         }