diff --git a/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFApplication.xpt b/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFApplication.xpt
index 4d959541fd..1e2bc4b7c7 100644
--- a/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFApplication.xpt
+++ b/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFApplication.xpt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 			<OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
 		</PropertyGroup>
 		
-		<Imports>
+		<Imports failureMessage="Please ensure the .NET Framework 3.0 is installed on your machine!">
 			<Import Project="$(MSBuildBinPath)\Microsoft.WinFX.targets" />
 		</Imports>
 		
diff --git a/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFNavigationApplication.xpt b/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFNavigationApplication.xpt
index f5a42262ed..3caf6e08d5 100644
--- a/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFNavigationApplication.xpt
+++ b/data/templates/project/CSharp/WPFNavigationApplication.xpt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 			<OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
 		</PropertyGroup>
 
-		<Imports>
+		<Imports failureMessage="Please ensure the .NET Framework 3.0 is installed on your machine!">
 			<Import Project="$(MSBuildBinPath)\Microsoft.WinFX.targets" />
 		</Imports>
 		
diff --git a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectDescriptor.cs b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectDescriptor.cs
index e526dea318..2fc129baf5 100644
--- a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectDescriptor.cs
+++ b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectDescriptor.cs
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Internal.Templates
 		
 		bool clearExistingImports;
 		List<Import> projectImports = new List<Import>();
+		string importsFailureMessage;
 		
 		List<FileDescriptionTemplate> files = new List<FileDescriptionTemplate>();
 		List<ProjectItem> projectItems = new List<ProjectItem>();
@@ -188,6 +189,9 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Internal.Templates
 			if (string.Equals(importsElement.GetAttribute("clear"), "true", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) {
 				clearExistingImports = true;
 			}
+			if (importsElement.HasAttribute("failureMessage")) {
+				importsFailureMessage = importsElement.GetAttribute("failureMessage");
+			}
 			foreach (XmlElement importElement in ChildElements(importsElement)) {
 				TemplateLoadException.AssertAttributeExists(importElement, "Project");
 				projectImports.Add(new Import(
@@ -292,10 +296,19 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Internal.Templates
 					if (clearExistingImports) {
 						MSBuildInternals.ClearImports(((MSBuildBasedProject)project).MSBuildProject);
 					}
-					foreach (Import projectImport in projectImports) {
-						((MSBuildBasedProject)project).MSBuildProject.AddNewImport(projectImport.Key, projectImport.Value);
+					try {
+						foreach (Import projectImport in projectImports) {
+							((MSBuildBasedProject)project).MSBuildProject.AddNewImport(projectImport.Key, projectImport.Value);
+						}
+						((MSBuildBasedProject)project).CreateItemsListFromMSBuild();
+					} catch (MSBuild.InvalidProjectFileException ex) {
+						if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(importsFailureMessage)) {
+							MessageService.ShowError("Error creating project:\n" + ex.Message);
+						} else {
+							MessageService.ShowError(importsFailureMessage + "\n\n" + ex.Message);
+						}
+						return null;
 					}
-					((MSBuildBasedProject)project).CreateItemsListFromMSBuild();
 				}
 				
 				if (projectProperties.Count > 0) {
diff --git a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectTemplate.cs b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectTemplate.cs
index 78cc6a30a4..d30b3667bb 100644
--- a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectTemplate.cs
+++ b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Internal/Templates/Project/ProjectTemplate.cs
@@ -282,7 +282,11 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Internal.Templates
 				return combineDescriptor.CreateSolution(projectCreateInformation, this.languagename);
 			} else if (projectDescriptor != null) {
 				projectCreateInformation.Solution = new Solution();
-				return projectDescriptor.CreateProject(projectCreateInformation, this.languagename).FileName;
+				IProject project = projectDescriptor.CreateProject(projectCreateInformation, this.languagename);
+				if (project != null)
+					return project.FileName;
+				else
+					return null;
 			} else {
 				return null;
 			}