diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7aa2247..154012c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <groupId>com.e-gineering</groupId>
     <artifactId>gitflow-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
 
-    <version>1.7.1</version>
+    <version>1.7.2</version>
     <packaging>maven-plugin</packaging>
 
     <name>gitflow-helper-maven-plugin</name>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/ScmUtils.java b/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/ScmUtils.java
index 40b18ed..72a669e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/ScmUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/ScmUtils.java
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ public static String resolveUrlOrExpression(final MavenProject project, final Lo
             if (StringUtils.isBlank(connectionUrl)) {
                 connectionUrl = project.getScm().getConnection();
             }
-            return connectionUrl;
+
+            // Issue #74, missing an emtpy / null check before returning.
+            if (!StringUtils.isBlank(connectionUrl)) {
+                return connectionUrl;
+            }
         }
 
         return DEFAULT_URL_EXPRESSION;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/TagMasterMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/TagMasterMojo.java
index f0a4f21..fc0c158 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/TagMasterMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/e_gineering/maven/gitflowhelper/TagMasterMojo.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import org.apache.maven.scm.ScmException;
 import org.apache.maven.scm.ScmFileSet;
 import org.apache.maven.scm.ScmTagParameters;
+import org.apache.maven.scm.command.tag.TagScmResult;
 import org.apache.maven.scm.provider.ScmProvider;
 import org.apache.maven.scm.repository.ScmRepository;
 
@@ -51,7 +52,15 @@ protected void execute(final GitBranchType type, final String gitBranch, final S
                     ScmTagParameters tagParams = new ScmTagParameters("Release tag [" + sanitizedTag + "] generated by gitflow-helper-maven-plugin.");
                     tagParams.setRemoteTagging(true);
 
-                    provider.tag(repository, new ScmFileSet(project.getBasedir()), sanitizedTag, tagParams);
+                    final TagScmResult tagScmResult = provider.tag(repository, new ScmFileSet(project.getBasedir()), sanitizedTag, tagParams);
+                    if (!tagScmResult.isSuccess()) {
+                        getLog().error("Provider message:");
+                        getLog().error(tagScmResult.getProviderMessage());
+                        getLog().error("Command output:");
+                        getLog().error(tagScmResult.getCommandOutput());
+
+                        throw new MojoFailureException(tagScmResult.getProviderMessage() );
+                    }
                 } catch (ScmException scme) {
                     throw new MojoFailureException("Unable to tag master branch.", scme);
                 }