diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/ArtifactResolutionException.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/ArtifactResolutionException.java
index 0a49017959..b83f8f059e 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/ArtifactResolutionException.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/ArtifactResolutionException.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver;
 
+import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;
+
 /*
  * Copyright 2001-2005 The Apache Software Foundation.
  *
@@ -23,20 +25,51 @@ package org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver;
 public class ArtifactResolutionException
     extends Exception
 {
+    private String groupId;
 
+    private String artifactId;
 
-    public ArtifactResolutionException( String message )
+    private String version;
+
+    private String type;
+
+    public ArtifactResolutionException( String message, String groupId, String artifactId, String version, String type, Throwable t )
     {
-        super( message );
+        super( "Unable to resolve artifact " + groupId + ":" + artifactId + ":" + version + ":" + type + "\n" + message, t );
+
+        this.groupId = groupId;
+        this.artifactId = artifactId;
+        this.type = type;
+        this.version = version;
     }
 
-    public ArtifactResolutionException( Throwable cause )
+    public ArtifactResolutionException( String message, Artifact artifact, Throwable t )
     {
-        super( cause );
+        this( message, artifact.getGroupId(), artifact.getArtifactId(), artifact.getVersion(), artifact.getType(), t );
     }
 
     public ArtifactResolutionException( String message, Throwable cause )
     {
         super( message, cause );
     }
+
+    public String getGroupId()
+    {
+        return groupId;
+    }
+
+    public String getArtifactId()
+    {
+        return artifactId;
+    }
+
+    public String getVersion()
+    {
+        return version;
+    }
+
+    public String getType()
+    {
+        return type;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
index 7d5bbb4854..d3883e89f1 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
@@ -128,11 +128,11 @@ public class DefaultArtifactResolver
             }
             catch ( ResourceDoesNotExistException e )
             {
-                throw new ArtifactResolutionException( artifactNotFound( localPath, remoteRepositories ), e );
+                throw new ArtifactResolutionException( artifactNotFound( localPath, remoteRepositories ), artifact, e );
             }
             catch ( TransferFailedException e )
             {
-                throw new ArtifactResolutionException( "Error downloading artifact " + artifact, e );
+                throw new ArtifactResolutionException( e.getMessage(), artifact, e );
             }
             catch ( ArtifactMetadataRetrievalException e )
             {
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
index d16e1f80b6..9d7b615b31 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/lifecycle/DefaultLifecycleExecutor.java
@@ -95,10 +95,6 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
         {
             response.setException( e );
         }
-        catch ( PluginNotFoundException e )
-        {
-            response.setException( e );
-        }
         catch ( ArtifactHandlerNotFoundException e )
         {
             response.setException( e );
@@ -233,7 +229,7 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
     }
 
     private void processPluginConfiguration( MavenProject project, MavenSession mavenSession, Map phaseMap )
-        throws LifecycleExecutionException, PluginNotFoundException
+        throws LifecycleExecutionException, ArtifactResolutionException
     {
         for ( Iterator i = project.getPlugins().iterator(); i.hasNext(); )
         {
@@ -251,7 +247,7 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
      * @param session
      */
     private void processPluginPhases( Plugin plugin, MavenSession session, Map phaseMap )
-        throws LifecycleExecutionException, PluginNotFoundException
+        throws LifecycleExecutionException, ArtifactResolutionException
     {
         String groupId = plugin.getGroupId();
 
@@ -336,7 +332,7 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
     }
 
     private void processGoalChain( String task, MavenSession session, Map phaseMap )
-        throws LifecycleExecutionException, PluginNotFoundException
+        throws LifecycleExecutionException, ArtifactResolutionException
     {
         if ( phaseMap.containsKey( task ) )
         {
@@ -368,7 +364,7 @@ public class DefaultLifecycleExecutor
     }
 
     private void verifyMojoPhase( String task, MavenSession session, Map phaseMap )
-        throws LifecycleExecutionException, PluginNotFoundException
+        throws LifecycleExecutionException, ArtifactResolutionException
     {
         MojoDescriptor mojoDescriptor = pluginManager.getMojoDescriptor( task );
 
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/DefaultPluginManager.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/DefaultPluginManager.java
index 670bee5ab0..c904e58c8c 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/DefaultPluginManager.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/DefaultPluginManager.java
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class DefaultPluginManager
     }
 
     public void verifyPluginForGoal( String goalName, MavenSession session )
-        throws PluginNotFoundException, PluginManagerException
+        throws ArtifactResolutionException, PluginManagerException
     {
         String pluginId = PluginDescriptor.getPluginIdFromGoal( goalName );
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public class DefaultPluginManager
     }
 
     public void verifyPlugin( String groupId, String artifactId, MavenSession session )
-        throws PluginNotFoundException, PluginManagerException
+        throws ArtifactResolutionException, PluginManagerException
     {
         if ( !isPluginInstalled( groupId, artifactId ) )
         {
@@ -258,7 +258,15 @@ public class DefaultPluginManager
             }
             catch ( ArtifactResolutionException e )
             {
-                throw new PluginNotFoundException( groupId, artifactId, version, e );
+                if ( groupId.equals( e.getGroupId() ) && artifactId.equals( e.getArtifactId() ) &&
+                    version.equals( e.getVersion() ) && "maven-plugin".equals( e.getType() ) )
+                {
+                    throw new PluginNotFoundException( groupId, artifactId, version, e );
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    throw e;
+                }
             }
             catch ( ComponentLookupException e )
             {
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginManager.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginManager.java
index 6042f7b5ae..eb907a67e0 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginManager.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginManager.java
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ public interface PluginManager
     MojoDescriptor getMojoDescriptor( String goalId );
 
     void verifyPluginForGoal( String goalName, MavenSession session )
-        throws PluginNotFoundException, PluginManagerException;
+        throws ArtifactResolutionException, PluginManagerException;
 
     void verifyPlugin( String groupId, String artifactId, MavenSession session )
-        throws PluginNotFoundException, PluginManagerException;
+        throws ArtifactResolutionException, PluginManagerException;
 
     PluginDescriptor getPluginDescriptor( String groupId, String artifactId );
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginNotFoundException.java b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginNotFoundException.java
index 7d367f8673..7fc2fadb13 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginNotFoundException.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/PluginNotFoundException.java
@@ -25,12 +25,11 @@ import org.apache.maven.artifact.resolver.ArtifactResolutionException;
  * @version $Id$
  */
 public class PluginNotFoundException
-    extends Throwable
+    extends ArtifactResolutionException
 {
     public PluginNotFoundException( String groupId, String artifactId, String version, ArtifactResolutionException e )
     {
-        super(
-            "Plugin could not found in any remote repositories: [" + groupId + ":" + artifactId + ":" + version + "]",
-            e );
+        super( "Plugin could not be found - check that the goal name is correct", groupId, artifactId, version,
+               "maven-plugin", e );
     }
 }