diff --git a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/ColumnVersionStrategy.java b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/ColumnVersionStrategy.java
index 043db492f..f8d8ecb35 100644
--- a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/ColumnVersionStrategy.java
+++ b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/ColumnVersionStrategy.java
@@ -66,8 +66,11 @@ public abstract class ColumnVersionStrategy
      * column index uses. Only used if the version strategy employs more than
      * one column. 
      */
-    protected abstract int getJavaType(int i);
-
+    protected int getJavaType(int i) {
+    	throw new AbstractMethodError(
+    		_loc.get("multi-column-version-unsupported",getAlias()).toString());
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Return the next version given the current one, which may be null.
      */
diff --git a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/NumberVersionStrategy.java b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/NumberVersionStrategy.java
index e7e0750c7..ab5fc749d 100644
--- a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/NumberVersionStrategy.java
+++ b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/NumberVersionStrategy.java
@@ -60,10 +60,6 @@ public class NumberVersionStrategy
         return JavaTypes.INT;
     }
     
-    protected int getJavaType(int i) {
-       throw new InternalException("multi-column-version-not-supported");
-    }
-
     protected Object nextVersion(Object version) {
         if (version == null)
             return _initial;
diff --git a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/TimestampVersionStrategy.java b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/TimestampVersionStrategy.java
index 42da3e421..880dba660 100644
--- a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/TimestampVersionStrategy.java
+++ b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/TimestampVersionStrategy.java
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ public class TimestampVersionStrategy
         return JavaSQLTypes.TIMESTAMP;
     }
     
-    protected int getJavaType(int i) {
-        throw new InternalException("multi-column-version-not-supported");
-    }
-
     protected Object nextVersion(Object version) {
         return new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
     }
diff --git a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/localizer.properties b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/localizer.properties
index 7a12b9fb2..0ba49e3f2 100644
--- a/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/localizer.properties
+++ b/openjpa-jdbc/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/jdbc/meta/strats/localizer.properties
@@ -137,3 +137,6 @@ unmapped-datastore-value: Instances of type "{0}" are not valid query \
 cache-hit: SQL Cache hit with key: {0} in {1}
 cache-missed: SQL Cache missed with key: {0} in {1}
 cant-set-value: Field "{1}" of "{0}" can not be set to "{2}" value.
+multi-column-version-unsupported:You have specified more than one column for \
+	version data, but the "{1}" version strategy does not support multi-column \
+	versioning.
\ No newline at end of file