diff --git a/repository/plugin.jelly b/repository/plugin.jelly
index 1a008b6c..dee13d15 100644
--- a/repository/plugin.jelly
+++ b/repository/plugin.jelly
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   xmlns:define="jelly:define"
   xmlns:dummy="dummy"
   xmlns:j="jelly:core"
+  xmlns:m="maven"
   xmlns:repository="repository"
   xmlns:u="jelly:util"
   xmlns:x="jelly:xml">
@@ -105,19 +106,6 @@
       <j:set var="${var}" value="${snapAndJar[0]}.${snapAndJar[1]}" scope="parent"/>
     </define:tag>
           
-  <!--
-   ! @name     the name of the value being checked
-   ! @value    the value that musn't be empty
-   ! @message  the message to be displayed when value is empty
-   !-->
-    <define:tag name="required">
-      <j:if test="${empty(message)}">
-        <j:set var="message">'${name}' must be specified</j:set>
-      </j:if>
-      <j:if test="${empty(value)}">
-        <fail>${message}</fail>
-      </j:if>
-    </define:tag>
   </define:taglib>
 
   <goal name="repository:audit-create-licenses"
@@ -133,7 +121,7 @@
      ! parse audit file
      ! run ssh to create each <groupId>/licenses directory.
      !-->
-    <repository:required name="directoryName" value="${directoryName}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${directoryName}" fail="true" message="'directoryName' must be specified"/>
     <repository:parseAudit var="audit"/>
     <!-- see if the user specified a starting project -->
     <j:set var="processing" value="true" />
@@ -222,7 +210,7 @@
   <!-- expects groupId to be set -->
   <goal name="repository:audit-copy-license"
     description="copy the license for the specified groupId to the repository">
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
 
     <!--
      ! parse audit file
@@ -250,7 +238,8 @@
   <goal name="repository:audit-generate-pom"
     description="generate a pom for the groupId provided, based on the audit file">
 
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
+
     <repository:parseAudit var="audit"/>
      <x:forEach var="project" select="$audit/licenses/project">
        <j:set var="group"><x:expr select="$project/groupId"/></j:set>
@@ -289,7 +278,9 @@
   <!-- expects groupId to be set -->
   <goal name="repository:create-project"
     description="create a project, specified by groupId, in the repository">
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
+
     <repository:exec>
       cd ${maven.repo.central.directory};
       mkdir ${groupId};
@@ -308,7 +299,8 @@
   <goal name="repository:delete-project"
     description="delete a project, specified by groupId, in the repository">
     
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
+
     <repository:exec>
       cd ${maven.repo.central.directory};
       rm -rf ${groupId};
@@ -322,8 +314,9 @@
   <goal name="repository:copy-snapshot-jar"
     description="copy a snapshot jar, specified by groupId and artifact, to the repository">
     
-    <repository:required name="artifact" value="${artifact}" />
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${artifact}" fail="true" message="'artifact' must be specified"/>
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
+
     <j:if test="${empty(artifactId)}">
       <j:set var="artifactId">${groupId}</j:set>
     </j:if>
@@ -355,8 +348,8 @@
   <goal name="repository:copy-jar"
     description="copy a jar, specified by groupId and artifact, to the repository">
 
-    <repository:required name="artifact" value="${artifact}" />
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${artifact}" fail="true" message="'artifact' must be specified"/>
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
 
     <j:set var="type" value="jar" />
     
@@ -369,9 +362,9 @@
   <goal name="repository:copy-artifact"
     description="copy an artifact, specified by groupId, artifact and type, to the repository">
 
-    <repository:required name="artifact" value="${artifact}" />
-    <repository:required name="groupId" value="${groupId}" />
-    <repository:required name="type" value="${type}" />
+    <m:param-check value="${artifact}" fail="true" message="'artifact' must be specified"/>
+    <m:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
+    <m:param-check value="${type}" fail="true" message="'type' must be specified" />
 
     <j:set var="directory" value="${maven.repo.central.directory}/${groupId}/${type}s/" />
     <repository:exec command="mkdir -p ${directory}; chmod g+ws ${directory}; chgrp ${maven.repository.group} ${directory}"/>