diff --git a/plugin/src/plugin-test/maven.xml b/plugin/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
index e9efb4aa..06ff0961 100644
--- a/plugin/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
+++ b/plugin/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
@@ -15,7 +15,10 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
  -->
-<project xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:u="jelly:util">
+<project xmlns:assert="assert"
+         xmlns:j="jelly:core" 
+         xmlns:u="jelly:util">
+         
   <goal name="testPlugin" prereqs="test-generate-docs">
     <attainGoal name="clean"/>
   </goal>
@@ -23,18 +26,12 @@
   <goal name="test-generate-docs">
     <attainGoal name="plugin:generate-docs"/>
 
-    <u:file var="docsSource" name="${maven.docs.src}"/>
-    <j:if test="${!(docsSource.exists())}">
-      <fail>no xdocs directory created</fail>
-    </j:if>
+    <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.docs.src}"/>
 
 	<u:tokenize var="fileList" delim=",">navigation.xml,goals.xml</u:tokenize>
 
-	<j:forEach var="file" items="fileList">
-      <u:file var="navXml" name="${maven.docs.src}/navigation.xml"/>
-      <j:if test="${!(navXml.exists())}">
-        <fail>no ${file} created</fail>
-      </j:if>
+	<j:forEach var="file" items="${fileList}">
+	  <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.docs.src}/${file}"/>
     </j:forEach>
     <delete dir="${maven.docs.src}"/>    
   </goal>