diff --git a/openjpa-persistence/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/AnnotationPersistenceMetaDataParser.java b/openjpa-persistence/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/AnnotationPersistenceMetaDataParser.java
index 16d8e9597..e4e8b9bbe 100644
--- a/openjpa-persistence/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/AnnotationPersistenceMetaDataParser.java
+++ b/openjpa-persistence/src/main/java/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/AnnotationPersistenceMetaDataParser.java
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ import org.apache.openjpa.util.ImplHelper;
 import org.apache.openjpa.util.InternalException;
 import org.apache.openjpa.util.MetaDataException;
 import org.apache.openjpa.util.UnsupportedException;
+import org.apache.openjpa.util.UserException;
+
 import serp.util.Numbers;
 import serp.util.Strings;
 
@@ -897,12 +899,20 @@ public class AnnotationPersistenceMetaDataParser
                 fg.addDeclaredInclude(s);
             }
         }
-        
+        // Add the parent-child style bi-links between fetch groups in a 
+        // separate pass. 
         for (FetchGroup group:groups) {
         	fg = meta.getFetchGroup(group.name());
         	String[] includedFetchGropNames = fg.getDeclaredIncludes();
-        	for (String includedFectchGroupName:includedFetchGropNames)
-        	    meta.getFetchGroup(includedFectchGroupName).addContainedBy(fg);
+        	for (String includedFectchGroupName:includedFetchGropNames) {
+        		org.apache.openjpa.meta.FetchGroup child =
+        	    meta.getFetchGroup(includedFectchGroupName);
+        		if (child == null) 
+        			throw new UserException(_loc.get("missing-included-fg", 
+        				meta.getDescribedType().getName(), fg.getName(),
+        				includedFectchGroupName));
+        		child.addContainedBy(fg);
+        	}
         }
         
         for (FetchGroup group : groups) {
diff --git a/openjpa-persistence/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/localizer.properties b/openjpa-persistence/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/localizer.properties
index c276ef84e..b19b4774b 100644
--- a/openjpa-persistence/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/localizer.properties
+++ b/openjpa-persistence/src/main/resources/org/apache/openjpa/persistence/localizer.properties
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ unnamed-fg: "{0}" declares an unnamed fetch group.  All fetch groups \
 bad-fg-field: Fetch group "{0}" in type "{1}" includes field "{2}", but \
 	this field is not declared in "{1}", or is not persistent.  Currently, \
 	OpenJPA only supports declared fields in fetch groups.
+missing-included-fg:"{0}" declares a fecth group "{1}" includes "{2}". But \
+	the included fetch group "{2}" can not be found in "{0}". Currently, all \
+	included fetch groups must be declared within the same entity scope.
 not-update-delete-query: Cannot perform an update or delete operation \
 	on select query: "{0}".
 not-select-query: Cannot perform a select on update or delete query: "{0}".
@@ -141,3 +144,4 @@ EntityManagerFactory-cat: Persistence.Advanced
 EntityManagerFactory-displayorder: 50
 EntityManagerFactory-expert: true
 EntityManagerFactory-interface: org.apache.openjpa.persistence.EntityManagerFactoryImpl
+