diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/DefaultMaven.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/DefaultMaven.java
index cc542769f2..c45b077e31 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/DefaultMaven.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/DefaultMaven.java
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ public class DefaultMaven
             lifecycleExecutor.execute( session, rm, dispatcher );
         }
         catch ( Exception e )
-        {
+        {                        
             executionExceptions.add( new BuildFailureException( e.getMessage(), e ) );
         }
 
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
index f87f0a4a6b..85b70290c5 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequest.java
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequest
 
     public String getBaseDirectory()
     {
+        if ( basedir == null )
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
         return basedir.getAbsolutePath();
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-embedder/pom.xml b/maven-embedder/pom.xml
index 17273ae6fd..ac3b13fb74 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-embedder/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
   <artifactId>maven-embedder</artifactId>
   <name>Maven Embedder</name>
   <properties>
-    <bundleVersion>2.1.0.v20061231-1908</bundleVersion>
+    <bundleVersion>2.1.0.v20061231-1929</bundleVersion>
   </properties>
   <build>
     <resources>
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestDefaultsPopulator.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestDefaultsPopulator.java
index 16a0baa7e7..f69592528e 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestDefaultsPopulator.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/execution/DefaultMavenExecutionRequestDefaultsPopulator.java
@@ -144,6 +144,13 @@ public class DefaultMavenExecutionRequestDefaultsPopulator
             throw new MavenEmbedderException( "Unable to configure Maven for execution", e );
         }
 
+        // BaseDirectory in MavenExecutionRequest
+
+        if ( request.getPomFile() != null && request.getBaseDirectory() == null )
+        {
+            request.setBasedir( new File( request.getPomFile() ) );
+        }
+
         return request;
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderTest.java b/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderTest.java
index 7f8727d186..5b697a9ce2 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderTest.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderTest.java
@@ -54,12 +54,12 @@ public class MavenEmbedderTest
     // Goal/Phase execution tests
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    public void testPhaseExecution()
+    public void testSimplePhaseExecutionUsingABaseDirectory()
         throws Exception
     {
         File testDirectory = new File( basedir, "src/test/embedder-test-project" );
 
-        File targetDirectory = new File( basedir, "target/embedder-test-project" );
+        File targetDirectory = new File( basedir, "target/embedder-test-project0" );
 
         FileUtils.copyDirectoryStructure( testDirectory, targetDirectory );
 
@@ -69,6 +69,34 @@ public class MavenEmbedderTest
 
         MavenExecutionResult result = maven.execute( request );
 
+        MavenProject project = result.getMavenProject();
+
+        assertEquals( "embedder-test-project", project.getArtifactId() );
+
+        File jar = new File( targetDirectory, "target/embedder-test-project-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" );
+
+        assertTrue( jar.exists() );
+    }
+
+    public void testSimplePhaseExecutionUsingAPomFile()
+        throws Exception
+    {
+        File testDirectory = new File( basedir, "src/test/embedder-test-project" );
+
+        File targetDirectory = new File( basedir, "target/embedder-test-project1" );
+
+        FileUtils.copyDirectoryStructure( testDirectory, targetDirectory );
+
+        MavenExecutionRequest request = new DefaultMavenExecutionRequest()
+            .setPomFile( new File( targetDirectory, "pom.xml" ).getAbsolutePath() )
+            .setGoals( Arrays.asList( new String[]{ "package" } ) );
+
+        MavenExecutionResult result = maven.execute( request );
+
+        MavenProject project = result.getMavenProject();
+
+        assertEquals( "embedder-test-project", project.getArtifactId() );
+
         File jar = new File( targetDirectory, "target/embedder-test-project-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar" );
 
         assertTrue( jar.exists() );