diff --git a/maven-artifact-manager/pom.xml b/maven-artifact-manager/pom.xml
index 5affeae270..5140baa6e0 100644
--- a/maven-artifact-manager/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-artifact-manager/pom.xml
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
       <artifactId>plexus-container-default</artifactId>
       <version>1.0-alpha-4</version>
     </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>plexus</groupId>
+      <artifactId>plexus-utils</artifactId>
+      <version>1.0.2-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven.wagon</groupId>
       <artifactId>wagon-provider-api</artifactId>
diff --git a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
index da91895a4d..40506c7578 100644
--- a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
+++ b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/manager/DefaultWagonManager.java
@@ -244,6 +244,8 @@ public class DefaultWagonManager
         if ( policy.isEnabled() )
         {
             getRemoteFile( repository, artifact.getFile(), remotePath, downloadMonitor, policy.getChecksumPolicy() );
+            
+            artifact.setResolved( true );
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
index fa1f8f7daa..f0f0ff5bd8 100644
--- a/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
+++ b/maven-artifact-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactResolver.java
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ public class DefaultArtifactResolver
                     {
                         wagonManager.getArtifact( artifact, remoteRepositories );
                     }
+                    
+                    if ( !artifact.isResolved() )
+                    {
+                        throw new ArtifactResolutionException( "Failed to resolve artifact, possibly due to a repository list that is not appropriately equipped for this artifact's metadata.", artifact, remoteRepositories );
+                    }
 
                     // must be after the artifact is downloaded
                     for ( Iterator i = artifact.getMetadataList().iterator(); i.hasNext(); )
@@ -135,6 +140,11 @@ public class DefaultArtifactResolver
                     throw new ArtifactResolutionException( e.getMessage(), artifact, remoteRepositories, e );
                 }
             }
+            else if ( destination.exists() )
+            {
+                // locally resolved...no need to hit the remote repo.
+                artifact.setResolved( true );
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/Artifact.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/Artifact.java
index 799bce7ce4..37669ed6f4 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/Artifact.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/Artifact.java
@@ -128,5 +128,9 @@ public interface Artifact
     void setArtifactId( String artifactId );
 
     boolean isSnapshot();
+    
+    void setResolved( boolean resolved );
+    
+    boolean isResolved();
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/DefaultArtifact.java b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/DefaultArtifact.java
index ea4b5f23a8..26f0fef531 100644
--- a/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/DefaultArtifact.java
+++ b/maven-artifact/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/DefaultArtifact.java
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ public class DefaultArtifact
 
     private VersionRange versionRange;
 
+    private boolean resolved = false;
+
     public DefaultArtifact( String groupId, String artifactId, VersionRange versionRange, String scope, String type,
                             String classifier, ArtifactHandler artifactHandler )
     {
@@ -436,4 +438,14 @@ public class DefaultArtifact
         }
     }
 
+    public void setResolved( boolean resolved )
+    {
+        this.resolved = resolved;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isResolved()
+    {
+        return resolved;
+    }
+
 }
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 49fbfd1c48..1678e23e8d 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
@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ public class ArtifactResolutionException
               remoteRepositories, artifact.getDownloadUrl(), artifact.getDependencyTrail(), t );
     }
 
+    public ArtifactResolutionException( String message, Artifact artifact, List remoteRepositories )
+    {
+        this( message, artifact.getGroupId(), artifact.getArtifactId(), artifact.getVersion(), artifact.getType(),
+              remoteRepositories, artifact.getDownloadUrl(), artifact.getDependencyTrail() );
+    }
+
     public ArtifactResolutionException( String message, Artifact artifact )
     {
         this( message, artifact.getGroupId(), artifact.getArtifactId(), artifact.getVersion(), artifact.getType(), null,
diff --git a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/ActiveProjectArtifact.java b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/ActiveProjectArtifact.java
index de9c50c226..2c0cdfd5d9 100644
--- a/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/ActiveProjectArtifact.java
+++ b/maven-project/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/project/artifact/ActiveProjectArtifact.java
@@ -220,4 +220,14 @@ public class ActiveProjectArtifact
     {
         return artifact.compareTo( o );
     }
+
+    public void setResolved( boolean resolved )
+    {
+        artifact.setResolved( resolved );
+    }
+
+    public boolean isResolved()
+    {
+        return artifact.isResolved();
+    }
 }