diff --git a/dist/plugin.jelly b/dist/plugin.jelly
index 4ec2fe11..7572a69b 100644
--- a/dist/plugin.jelly
+++ b/dist/plugin.jelly
@@ -23,8 +23,27 @@
   xmlns:ant="jelly:ant"
   xmlns:maven="jelly:maven"
   xmlns:artifact="artifact"
+  xmlns:deploy="deploy"
   xmlns:util="jelly:util">
 
+  <!-- Poor mans version check - plugin dependencies still suck for multiple versions -->
+  <maven:get plugin="maven-artifact-plugin" property="plugin" var="artifactPlugin" />
+  <j:if test="${artifactPlugin.currentVersion.compareTo('1.3') lt 0}">
+    <ant:fail>
+      Must have artifact plugin v1.3 installed to use this version of the dist plugin.
+      Try: maven plugin:download -DgroupId=maven -DartifactId=maven-artifact-plugin -Dversion=1.3
+    </ant:fail>
+  </j:if>
+  <!-- Can remove deploy dependency above when this is gone -->
+  <maven:get plugin="maven-deploy-plugin" property="plugin" var="deployPlugin" />
+  <j:if test="${deployPlugin != null}">
+    <ant:fail>
+      Must remove the deploy plugin to use this version of the dist plugin.
+      Please delete ${deployPlugin.artifactId}-${deployPlugin.currentVersion}.jar from
+      ${maven.plugin.dir} and ${maven.plugin.unpacked.dir} (if it exists)
+    </ant:fail>
+  </j:if>
+
   <j:new var="distTypeHandler" className="org.apache.maven.dist.DistributionArtifactTypeHandler" />
 
   <!-- ================================================================== -->
diff --git a/dist/src/main/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandler.java b/dist/src/main/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b65d3f54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/src/main/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+package org.apache.maven.dist;
+
+/* ====================================================================
+ *   Copyright 2001-2004 The Apache Software Foundation.
+ *
+ *   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *   limitations under the License.
+ * ====================================================================
+ */
+
+import org.apache.maven.MavenException;
+import org.apache.maven.project.Project;
+import org.apache.maven.repository.ArtifactTypeHandler;
+
+/**
+ *  This will do until wagon debuts.
+ * 
+ * @author <a href="mailto:brett@apache.org">Brett Porter</a> 
+ * @version $Id: DistributionArtifactTypeHandler.java,v 1.1 2004/06/25 13:48:53 brett Exp $
+ */
+public class DistributionArtifactTypeHandler implements ArtifactTypeHandler
+{
+    /**
+     * Map an artifact to a repository directory path.
+     * 
+     * @param project the project for the artifact
+     * @param type  The type of the artifact 
+     * @return the path
+     */
+    public String constructRepositoryDirectoryPath(String type, Project project) throws MavenException
+    {
+        StringBuffer path = new StringBuffer();
+        path.append(project.getArtifactDirectory());
+        path.append("/distributions/");
+        return path.toString();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Map an artifact to a repository path.
+     * 
+     * @param project the project for the artifact
+     * @param type  The type of the artifact 
+     * @param version  The version of the artifact (may be a snapshot)
+     * @return the path
+     */
+    public String constructRepositoryFullPath(String type, Project project, String version) throws MavenException
+    {
+        StringBuffer path = new StringBuffer(constructRepositoryDirectoryPath(type, project));
+        path.append(project.getArtifactId());
+        path.append("-");
+        path.append(version);
+        if (!type.startsWith("distribution")) {
+            throw new MavenException("Type is not a distribution (is " + type + ")");
+        }
+        String subtype = type.substring(12);
+        if (subtype.startsWith("-src")) {
+            path.append("-src");
+            subtype = subtype.substring(4);
+        }
+
+        if (subtype.equals("-targz")) {
+            path.append(".tar.gz");
+        }
+        else if (subtype.equals("-tarbz2")) {
+            path.append(".tar.bz2");
+        }
+        else if (subtype.equals("-zip")) {
+            path.append(".zip");
+        }
+        else {
+            throw new MavenException("Unrecognised distribution type (is " + type + ")");
+        }
+            
+        return path.toString();
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/dist/src/test/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandlerTest.java b/dist/src/test/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandlerTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83461dce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/src/test/org/apache/maven/dist/DistributionArtifactTypeHandlerTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package org.apache.maven.dist;
+
+/* ====================================================================
+ *   Copyright 2001-2004 The Apache Software Foundation.
+ *
+ *   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *   limitations under the License.
+ * ====================================================================
+ */
+
+import org.apache.maven.MavenException;
+import org.apache.maven.project.Project;
+import org.apache.maven.repository.ArtifactTypeHandler;
+
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+/**
+ *  This will do until wagon debuts.
+ * 
+ * @author <a href="mailto:brett@apache.org">Brett Porter</a> 
+ * @version $Id: DistributionArtifactTypeHandlerTest.java,v 1.1 2004/06/25 13:48:54 brett Exp $
+ */
+public class DistributionArtifactTypeHandlerTest extends TestCase
+{
+    private Project project;
+    private ArtifactTypeHandler handler;
+    private static final String VERSION = "VERSION";
+
+    public void setUp() throws Exception
+    {
+        project = new Project();
+        project.setGroupId("groupId");
+        project.setArtifactId("artifactId");
+        handler = new DistributionArtifactTypeHandler();
+    }
+
+    public void testConstructRepositoryDirectoryPath() throws Exception
+    {
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-targz", project));
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-tarbz2", project));
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-zip", project));
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-src-targz", project));
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-src-tarbz2", project));
+        assertEquals("check artifact directory", "groupId/distributions/", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryDirectoryPath("distribution-src-zip", project));
+    }
+
+    public void testConstructRepositoryFullPath() throws Exception
+    {
+        try {
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("foo", project, VERSION);
+            fail("expected exception");
+        }
+        catch (MavenException expected) {
+            assertTrue("expected exception", true);
+        }
+
+        try {
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution", project, VERSION);
+            fail("expected exception");
+        }
+        catch (MavenException expected) {
+            assertTrue("expected exception", true);
+        }
+
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION.tar.gz", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-targz", project, VERSION));
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION.tar.bz2", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-tarbz2", project, VERSION));
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION.zip",
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-zip", project, VERSION));
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION-src.tar.gz", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-src-targz", project, VERSION));
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION-src.tar.bz2", 
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-src-tarbz2", project, VERSION));
+        assertEquals("check artifact path", "groupId/distributions/artifactId-VERSION-src.zip",
+            handler.constructRepositoryFullPath("distribution-src-zip", project, VERSION));
+    }
+}
+