diff --git a/maven-core-it-verifier/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/it/Verifier.java b/maven-core-it-verifier/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/it/Verifier.java
index 845ad7d8c5..e506f95f35 100644
--- a/maven-core-it-verifier/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/it/Verifier.java
+++ b/maven-core-it-verifier/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/it/Verifier.java
@@ -499,8 +499,10 @@ public void executeGoals( Properties properties, String filename )
                 String key = (String) i.next();
                 cli.createArgument().setLine( "-D" + key + "=" + properties.getProperty( key ) );
             }
-            
-            cli.createArgument().setLine( "-Dmaven.repo.local=" + localRepo );
+
+            // Note: Make sure that the repo is surrounded by quotes as it can possibly have 
+            // spaces in its path.            
+            cli.createArgument().setLine( "-Dmaven.repo.local=" + "\"" + localRepo + "\"" );
 
             for ( Iterator i = allGoals.iterator(); i.hasNext(); )
             {