diff --git a/changes/plugin.jelly b/changes/plugin.jelly
index b48bae5a..5b9f1302 100644
--- a/changes/plugin.jelly
+++ b/changes/plugin.jelly
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@
   xmlns:plugin="plugin"
   xmlns:doc="doc">
 
+  <goal name="changes:init">
+    <available
+        file="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml"
+        property="changesFileAvailable"/>
+  </goal>
+
   <goal name="maven-changes-plugin:register">
     <util:file var="changes" name="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml"/>
     <j:if test="${changes.exists()}">
@@ -48,8 +54,11 @@
 
   <goal
     name="changes:report"
+    prereqs="changes:init"
     description="Generate a changes report">
 
+    <j:if test="${changesFileAvailable}">
+
     <doc:jsl
       input="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml"
       output="changes-report.xml"
@@ -77,17 +86,20 @@
     <copy todir="${maven.docs.dest}/images">
       <fileset dir="${plugin.resources}/images"/>
     </copy>
-    
+
+    </j:if>
+
+    <j:if test="${not changesFileAvailable}">
+      <echo> *** WARNING: no file changes.xml found!</echo>
+    </j:if>
+
   </goal>
 
   <goal name="changes:validate"
+    prereqs="changes:init"
     description="Validates the changes.xml file">
 
-    <available
-        file="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml"
-        property="changesFile.available"/>
-
-    <j:if test="${changesFile.available}">
+    <j:if test="${changesFileAvailable}">
         <plugin:validate-xml
             schema="${plugin.resources}/xsd/changes.xsd"
             file="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml"/>
diff --git a/changes/xdocs/changes.xml b/changes/xdocs/changes.xml
index 520c6602..67645a55 100644
--- a/changes/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/changes/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.6.1" date="In SVN">
+      <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPCHANGES-30">Missing <code>changes.xml</code> makes report fail.</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="fix" issue="MPCHANGES-29">Add icons used by this plugin. This must be independent of the xdoc plugin.</action>
     </release>
     <release version="1.6" date="2005-12-12">