Index: tooling/karaf-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/tooling/features/GenerateDescriptorMojo.java
===================================================================
--- tooling/karaf-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/tooling/features/GenerateDescriptorMojo.java	(revision 1344797)
+++ tooling/karaf-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/tooling/features/GenerateDescriptorMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@
             feature = objectFactory.createFeature();
             feature.setName(project.getArtifactId());
         }
-        if (feature.getVersion() == null) {
+        if (!feature.hasVersion()) {
             feature.setVersion(project.getArtifact().getBaseVersion());
         }
         if (feature.getDescription() == null) {
Index: features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/Feature.java
===================================================================
--- features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/Feature.java	(revision 1344797)
+++ features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/Feature.java	(working copy)
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 
     String getVersion();
 
+    boolean hasVersion();
+
     String getResolver();
 
     String getInstall();
Index: features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/model/Feature.java
===================================================================
--- features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/model/Feature.java	(revision 1344797)
+++ features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/model/Feature.java	(working copy)
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAccessorType;
 import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlAttribute;
 import javax.xml.bind.annotation.XmlType;
+
 import org.apache.karaf.features.BundleInfo;
 import org.apache.karaf.features.ConfigFileInfo;
 
@@ -302,6 +303,14 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Since version has a default value ("0.0.0"), returns
+     * whether or not the version has been set.
+     */
+    public boolean hasVersion() {
+        return this.version != null;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Gets the value of the description property.
      * 
      * @return