diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/BuildPropertiesWriter.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/BuildPropertiesWriter.java
index 1757a95a604..39ebbcbd718 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/BuildPropertiesWriter.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/tools/BuildPropertiesWriter.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 /**
@@ -119,9 +120,21 @@ public final class BuildPropertiesWriter {
 			this.artifact = artifact;
 			this.name = name;
 			this.version = version;
+			validateAdditionalProperties(additionalProperties);
 			this.additionalProperties = additionalProperties;
 		}
 
+		private static void validateAdditionalProperties(
+				Map<String, String> additionalProperties) {
+			if (additionalProperties != null) {
+				for (Entry<String, String> property : additionalProperties.entrySet()) {
+					if (property.getValue() == null) {
+						throw new NullAdditionalPropertyValueException(property.getKey());
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 		public String getGroup() {
 			return this.group;
 		}
@@ -143,4 +156,16 @@ public final class BuildPropertiesWriter {
 		}
 
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Exception thrown when an additional property with a null value is encountered.
+	 */
+	public static class NullAdditionalPropertyValueException
+			extends IllegalArgumentException {
+
+		public NullAdditionalPropertyValueException(String name) {
+			super("Additional property '" + name + "' is illegal as its value is null");
+		}
+
+	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/BuildInfoMojo.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/BuildInfoMojo.java
index 49a335c06df..d965425742c 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/BuildInfoMojo.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/maven/BuildInfoMojo.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.loader.tools.BuildPropertiesWriter;
+import org.springframework.boot.loader.tools.BuildPropertiesWriter.NullAdditionalPropertyValueException;
 import org.springframework.boot.loader.tools.BuildPropertiesWriter.ProjectDetails;
 
 /**
@@ -53,8 +54,8 @@ public class BuildInfoMojo extends AbstractMojo {
 	private File outputFile;
 
 	/**
-	 * Additional properties to store in the build-info.properties. Each entry is prefixed by
-	 * {@code build.} in the generated build-info.properties.
+	 * Additional properties to store in the build-info.properties. Each entry is prefixed
+	 * by {@code build.} in the generated build-info.properties.
 	 */
 	@Parameter
 	private Map<String, String> additionalProperties;
@@ -67,6 +68,10 @@ public class BuildInfoMojo extends AbstractMojo {
 							this.project.getArtifactId(), this.project.getVersion(),
 							this.project.getName(), this.additionalProperties));
 		}
+		catch (NullAdditionalPropertyValueException ex) {
+			throw new MojoFailureException(
+					"Failed to generated build-info.properties. " + ex.getMessage(), ex);
+		}
 		catch (Exception ex) {
 			throw new MojoExecutionException(ex.getMessage(), ex);
 		}