--- 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;
     }