diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/DefaultModelBuilder.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/DefaultModelBuilder.java
index 6757c425fb..63f7842342 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/DefaultModelBuilder.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/building/DefaultModelBuilder.java
@@ -833,7 +833,14 @@ public class DefaultModelBuilder
             buffer.append( ": " ).append( e.getMessage() );
             if ( childModel.getProjectDirectory() != null )
             {
-                buffer.append( " and 'parent.relativePath' points at wrong local POM" );
+                if ( parent.getRelativePath() == null || parent.getRelativePath().length() <= 0 )
+                {
+                    buffer.append( " and 'parent.relativePath' points at no local POM" );
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    buffer.append( " and 'parent.relativePath' points at wrong local POM" );
+                }
             }
 
             problems.add( Severity.FATAL, buffer.toString(), parent.getLocation( "" ), e );
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidator.java b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidator.java
index 4654189d9b..ca89ce3b30 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidator.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidator.java
@@ -92,9 +92,21 @@ public class DefaultModelValidator
             Severity errOn30 = getSeverity( request, ModelBuildingRequest.VALIDATION_LEVEL_MAVEN_3_0 );
 
             validateEnum( "modelVersion", problems, Severity.ERROR, model.getModelVersion(), null, model, "4.0.0" );
+
             validateStringNoExpression( "groupId", problems, Severity.WARNING, model.getGroupId(), model );
+            if ( parent == null )
+            {
+                validateStringNotEmpty( "groupId", problems, Severity.FATAL, model.getGroupId(), model );
+            }
+
             validateStringNoExpression( "artifactId", problems, Severity.WARNING, model.getArtifactId(), model );
+            validateStringNotEmpty( "artifactId", problems, Severity.FATAL, model.getArtifactId(), model );
+
             validateStringNoExpression( "version", problems, Severity.WARNING, model.getVersion(), model );
+            if ( parent == null )
+            {
+                validateStringNotEmpty( "version", problems, Severity.FATAL, model.getVersion(), model );
+            }
 
             validateRawDependencies( problems, model.getDependencies(), "dependencies.dependency", request );