diff --git a/aspectwerkz/plugin.jelly b/aspectwerkz/plugin.jelly
index 7f3c4238..ccc4d1a6 100644
--- a/aspectwerkz/plugin.jelly
+++ b/aspectwerkz/plugin.jelly
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
     <!-- If there are non-production aspect sources, compile them -->
     <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.aspectwerkz.src.dir') != null}">
 
+      <ant:mkdir dir="${maven.aspectwerkz.build.dest}"/>
+
     	<ant:javac destdir="${maven.aspectwerkz.build.dest}"
           excludes="**/package.html"
           debug="${pom.getPluginContext('maven-java-plugin').getVariable('maven.compile.debug')}"
diff --git a/aspectwerkz/src/plugin-test/project.properties b/aspectwerkz/src/plugin-test/project.properties
index 9081fa6a..179a3350 100644
--- a/aspectwerkz/src/plugin-test/project.properties
+++ b/aspectwerkz/src/plugin-test/project.properties
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 
 maven.aspectwerkz.verbose = true
 maven.aspectwerkz.src.dir = ${basedir}/src/aspectwerkz
-maven.aspectwerkz.build.dir = ${maven.build.dir}/aspectwerkz/classes
+maven.aspectwerkz.build.dest = ${maven.build.dir}/aspectwerkz/classes