Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactCollector.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactCollector.java	(revision 559489)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/artifact/resolver/DefaultArtifactCollector.java	(working copy)
@@ -193,9 +193,14 @@
                             if ( resetArtifact.getVersion() == null && resetArtifact.getVersionRange() != null &&
                                 resetArtifact.getAvailableVersions() != null )
                             {
-
-                                resetArtifact.selectVersion( resetArtifact.getVersionRange().matchVersion(
-                                    resetArtifact.getAvailableVersions() ).toString() );
+                                ArtifactVersion resetVersion =
+                                    resetArtifact.getVersionRange().matchVersion( resetArtifact.getAvailableVersions() );
+                                if ( resetVersion == null )
+                                    throw new OverConstrainedVersionException( "Couldn't find a version in "
+                                                    + resetArtifact.getAvailableVersions() + " to match range "
+                                                    + resetArtifact.getVersionRange(), resetArtifact,
+                                                                               remoteRepositories );
+                                resetArtifact.selectVersion( resetVersion.toString() );
                                 fireEvent( ResolutionListener.SELECT_VERSION_FROM_RANGE, listeners, resetNodes[j] );
                             }
                         }