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 1cb1c695c8..fa262c89aa 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
@@ -196,11 +196,12 @@ public class DefaultModelValidator
                     + "' is invalid. Aggregator projects " + "require 'pom' as packaging." );
             }
 
-            for ( String module : model.getModules() )
+            for ( int i = 0, n = model.getModules().size(); i < n; i++ )
             {
+                String module = model.getModules().get( i );
                 if ( StringUtils.isBlank( module ) )
                 {
-                    addViolation( problems, Severity.WARNING, "modules.module", null,
+                    addViolation( problems, Severity.WARNING, "modules.module[" + i + "]", null,
                                   "has been specified without a path to the project directory." );
                 }
             }
@@ -221,12 +222,13 @@ public class DefaultModelValidator
         if ( request.getValidationLevel() >= ModelBuildingRequest.VALIDATION_LEVEL_MAVEN_2_0 )
         {
             Set<String> modules = new HashSet<String>();
-            for ( String module : model.getModules() )
+            for ( int i = 0, n = model.getModules().size(); i < n; i++ )
             {
+                String module = model.getModules().get( i );
                 if ( !modules.add( module ) )
                 {
-                    addViolation( problems, Severity.ERROR, "modules.module", null, "specifies duplicate child module "
-                        + module );
+                    addViolation( problems, Severity.ERROR, "modules.module[" + i + "]", null,
+                                  "specifies duplicate child module " + module );
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/maven-model-builder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidatorTest.java b/maven-model-builder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidatorTest.java
index 76297c6e41..456d46ebad 100644
--- a/maven-model-builder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidatorTest.java
+++ b/maven-model-builder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/model/validation/DefaultModelValidatorTest.java
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ public class DefaultModelValidatorTest
 
         assertViolations( result, 0, 0, 1 );
 
-        assertTrue( result.getWarnings().get( 0 ).contains( "'modules.module' has been specified without a path" ) );
+        assertTrue( result.getWarnings().get( 0 ).contains( "'modules.module[0]' has been specified without a path" ) );
     }
 
     public void testDuplicatePlugin()