diff --git a/webserver/plugin.jelly b/webserver/plugin.jelly
index 63810c99..ff12df76 100644
--- a/webserver/plugin.jelly
+++ b/webserver/plugin.jelly
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
     </define:taglib>
 
 
-    <!-- Check all required properties for a name and version first -->
+    <!-- Check required properties for a name and version first -->
     <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.name') == null}">
       <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.name" />
     </j:if>
@@ -130,10 +130,39 @@
       propvalue="${maven.webserver.home}" />
     </j:if>
 
+    <!-- Check the rest of the required properties -->
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.dir') == null}">
+      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.dir" />
+    </j:if>
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.socket') == null}">
+      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.test.socket" />
+    </j:if>
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.test.url') == null}">
+      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.test.url" />
+    </j:if>
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.root') == null}">
+      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.root" />
+    </j:if>
+
+    <!-- These are special cases where the user should not override -->
+    <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.webserver.fullname') == null}">
+      <exception:requiredPropertyMissing propname="maven.webserver.fullname" />
+    </j:if>
+    <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.conf.dir.exists">
+      <ant:available file="${maven.webserver.conf.dir}" type="dir" />
+    </ant:condition>
+    <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.webserver.conf.dir.exists')}">
+      <exception:invalidPropertyDirectory propname="maven.webserver.conf.dir"
+      propvalue="${maven.webserver.conf.dir}" />
+    </j:if>
 
     <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is started -->
     <ant:condition property="maven.webserver.started">
-      <ant:http url="${maven.webserver.url}" />
+      <ant:and>
+        <ant:socket server="${maven.webserver.host}"
+          port="${maven.webserver.test.socket}" />
+        <ant:http url="${maven.webserver.test.url}" />
+      </ant:and>
     </ant:condition>
 
     <!-- a flag to see if the webserver is installed -->
@@ -197,7 +226,7 @@
     </j:set>
 
     <log:info trim="false">
-Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserver instance is <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.installed.msg}"/> in directory [ <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.dir}"/> ] and <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.started.msg}"/> on <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.url}"/>
+Maven has determined your <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.fullname}"/> webserver instance is <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.installed.msg}"/> in directory [ <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.dir}"/> ] and <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.started.msg}"/> on <j:expr value="${maven.webserver.test.url}"/>
     </log:info>
 
   </goal>