diff --git a/apache-maven/src/bin/mvn.bat b/apache-maven/src/bin/mvn.bat
index abf793b807..546842aae5 100644
--- a/apache-maven/src/bin/mvn.bat
+++ b/apache-maven/src/bin/mvn.bat
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ goto runm2
 @REM Start MAVEN2
 :runm2
 set CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER=org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher
-%MAVEN_JAVA_EXE% %JVM_CONFIG_MAVEN_PROPS% %MAVEN_OPTS% -classpath %CLASSWORLDS_JAR% "-Dclassworlds.conf=%M2_HOME%\bin\m2.conf" "-Dmaven.home=%M2_HOME%" "-Dmaven.projectBasedir=%MAVEN_PROJECTBASEDIR%" %CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER% %MAVEN_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
+%MAVEN_JAVA_EXE% %JVM_CONFIG_MAVEN_PROPS% %MAVEN_OPTS% -classpath %CLASSWORLDS_JAR% "-Dclassworlds.conf=%M2_HOME%\bin\m2.conf" "-Dmaven.home=%M2_HOME%" "-Dmaven.multiModuleProjectDirectory=%MAVEN_PROJECTBASEDIR%" %CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER% %MAVEN_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto error
 goto end
 
diff --git a/apache-maven/src/bin/mvnDebug.bat b/apache-maven/src/bin/mvnDebug.bat
index 2b2cc18213..6452638fb2 100644
--- a/apache-maven/src/bin/mvnDebug.bat
+++ b/apache-maven/src/bin/mvnDebug.bat
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ goto runm2
 @REM Start MAVEN2
 :runm2
 set CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER=org.codehaus.plexus.classworlds.launcher.Launcher
-%MAVEN_JAVA_EXE% %JVM_CONFIG_MAVEN_PROPS% %MAVEN_OPTS% %MAVEN_DEBUG_OPTS% -classpath %CLASSWORLDS_JAR% "-Dclassworlds.conf=%M2_HOME%\bin\m2.conf" "-Dmaven.home=%M2_HOME%" "-Dmaven.projectBasedir=%MAVEN_PROJECTBASEDIR%" %CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER% %MAVEN_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
+%MAVEN_JAVA_EXE% %JVM_CONFIG_MAVEN_PROPS% %MAVEN_OPTS% %MAVEN_DEBUG_OPTS% -classpath %CLASSWORLDS_JAR% "-Dclassworlds.conf=%M2_HOME%\bin\m2.conf" "-Dmaven.home=%M2_HOME%" "-Dmaven.multiModuleProjectDirectory=%MAVEN_PROJECTBASEDIR%" %CLASSWORLDS_LAUNCHER% %MAVEN_CMD_LINE_ARGS%
 if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto error
 goto end
 
diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
index cd368326a8..4e7e072065 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/cli/MavenCli.java
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ public class MavenCli
     }
 
     void initialize( CliRequest cliRequest )
+        throws ExitException
     {
         if ( cliRequest.workingDirectory == null )
         {
@@ -321,6 +322,12 @@ public class MavenCli
         if ( cliRequest.multiModuleProjectDirectory == null )
         {
             String basedirProperty = System.getProperty( MULTIMODULE_PROJECT_DIRECTORY );
+            if ( basedirProperty == null )
+            {
+                System.err.format( "-D%s system propery is not set."
+                    + " Check $M2_HOME environment variable and mvn script match.", MULTIMODULE_PROJECT_DIRECTORY );
+                throw new ExitException( 1 );
+            }
             File basedir = basedirProperty != null ? new File( basedirProperty ) : new File( "" );
             try
             {