diff --git a/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/ArchivaArtifact.java b/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/ArchivaArtifact.java
index 1ebed65ea..d7ce2a155 100644
--- a/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/ArchivaArtifact.java
+++ b/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/ArchivaArtifact.java
@@ -41,22 +41,26 @@ public class ArchivaArtifact
     {
         if ( empty( groupId ) )
         {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty groupId." );
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty groupId ["
+                + Keys.toKey( groupId, artifactId, version, classifier, type ) + "]" );
         }
 
         if ( empty( artifactId ) )
         {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty artifactId." );
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty artifactId ["
+                + Keys.toKey( groupId, artifactId, version, classifier, type ) + "]" );
         }
 
         if ( empty( version ) )
         {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty version." );
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty version ["
+                + Keys.toKey( groupId, artifactId, version, classifier, type ) + "]" );
         }
 
         if ( empty( type ) )
         {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty type." );
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Unable to create ArchivaArtifact with empty type ["
+                + Keys.toKey( groupId, artifactId, version, classifier, type ) + "]" );
         }
 
         model = new ArchivaArtifactModel();
diff --git a/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/Keys.java b/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/Keys.java
index b89aec6d9..7d4340fc3 100644
--- a/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/Keys.java
+++ b/archiva-base/archiva-model/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/archiva/model/Keys.java
@@ -34,20 +34,25 @@ public class Keys
     {
         return toKey( model.getGroupId(), model.getArtifactId(), model.getVersion() );
     }
-
-    public static String toKey( ArtifactReference ref )
+    
+    public static String toKey( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String classifier, String type )
     {
         StringBuffer key = new StringBuffer();
 
-        key.append( ref.getGroupId() ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( ref.getArtifactId() ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( ref.getVersion() ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( StringUtils.defaultString( ref.getClassifier() ) ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( ref.getType() );
+        key.append( groupId ).append( ":" );
+        key.append( artifactId ).append( ":" );
+        key.append( version ).append( ":" );
+        key.append( StringUtils.defaultString( classifier ) ).append( ":" );
+        key.append( type );
 
         return key.toString();
     }
 
+    public static String toKey( ArtifactReference ref )
+    {
+        return toKey( ref.getGroupId(), ref.getArtifactId(), ref.getVersion(), ref.getClassifier(), ref.getType() );
+    }
+
     public static String toKey( ProjectReference ref )
     {
         StringBuffer key = new StringBuffer();
@@ -71,12 +76,6 @@ public class Keys
     
     public static String toKey( VersionedReference ref )
     {
-        StringBuffer key = new StringBuffer();
-
-        key.append( ref.getGroupId() ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( ref.getArtifactId() ).append( ":" );
-        key.append( ref.getVersion() );
-
-        return key.toString();
+        return toKey( ref.getGroupId(), ref.getArtifactId(), ref.getVersion() );
     }
 }