diff --git a/projects/reactor/src/test/java/releaser/reactor/RestartSiteProjectPostReleaseTaskTests.java b/projects/reactor/src/test/java/releaser/reactor/RestartSiteProjectPostReleaseTaskTests.java
index 2e98e85e..5c63cf29 100644
--- a/projects/reactor/src/test/java/releaser/reactor/RestartSiteProjectPostReleaseTaskTests.java
+++ b/projects/reactor/src/test/java/releaser/reactor/RestartSiteProjectPostReleaseTaskTests.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 package releaser.reactor;
 
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.fail;
+
 import org.assertj.core.api.BDDAssertions;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.mockito.BDDMockito;
@@ -53,6 +55,26 @@ class RestartSiteProjectPostReleaseTaskTests {
 				.restartApp(BDDMockito.eq("projectreactor"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void should_fail_if_original_version_is_null() {
+		ProjectToRun p = new ProjectToRun(null,
+				new ProjectsFromBom(new Projects(), new ProjectVersion("foo", "1.0.0")),
+				null, new ReleaserProperties(),
+				BDDMockito.mock(Options.class)) {
+			@Override
+			public String name() {
+				return "reactor-core";
+			}
+		};
+		try {
+			Arguments.forProject(p);
+			fail();
+		}
+		catch (Exception e) {
+			// success
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void should_not_update_the_website_if_project_not_reactor_core() {
 		Arguments arguments = Arguments.forProject(nonReactorCoreProject());
diff --git a/releaser-spring/src/main/java/releaser/internal/spring/Arguments.java b/releaser-spring/src/main/java/releaser/internal/spring/Arguments.java
index 59ea6261..e5e0e763 100644
--- a/releaser-spring/src/main/java/releaser/internal/spring/Arguments.java
+++ b/releaser-spring/src/main/java/releaser/internal/spring/Arguments.java
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ public final class Arguments implements Serializable {
 
 	private Arguments(ProjectToRun thisProject, Projects projects,
 			ProjectVersion currentProjectFromBom) {
-		log.info("Creating Arguments for: " + thisProject.name() + "; Original version: "
-				+ thisProject.originalVersion);
 		this.project = thisProject.thisProjectFolder;
 		this.projects = projects;
 		this.originalVersion = thisProject.originalVersion;
+		log.info("Creating Arguments for: " + thisProject.name() + "; Original version: "
+				+ this.originalVersion);
 		Assert.isTrue(this.originalVersion != null,
-				"Original Version must not be empty for project: " + thisProject.name());
+				"Original Version must not be null for project: " + thisProject.name());
 		this.versionFromBom = currentProjectFromBom;
 		this.properties = thisProject.thisProjectReleaserProperties;
 		this.options = thisProject.options;
@@ -101,14 +101,15 @@ public final class Arguments implements Serializable {
 	// in this case the project will be the BOM
 	private Arguments(ProjectToRun thisProject,
 			List<ProcessedProject> processedProjects) {
-		log.info("Creating Arguments for: " + thisProject.name() + "; Original version: "
-				+ thisProject.originalVersion);
+
 		this.project = thisProject.thisProjectFolder;
 		this.projects = new Projects(processedProjects.stream()
 				.map(p -> p.newProjectVersion).collect(Collectors.toSet()));
 		this.originalVersion = thisProject.originalVersion;
+		log.info("Creating Arguments for: " + thisProject.name() + "; Original version: "
+				+ this.originalVersion);
 		Assert.isTrue(this.originalVersion != null,
-				"Original Version must not be empty for project: " + thisProject.name());
+				"Original Version must not be null for project: " + thisProject.name());
 		this.versionFromBom = thisProject.thisProjectVersionFromBom;
 		this.properties = thisProject.thisProjectReleaserProperties;
 		this.options = thisProject.options;