diff --git a/java/maven.hints/src/org/netbeans/modules/maven/hints/pom/ParentVersionError.java b/java/maven.hints/src/org/netbeans/modules/maven/hints/pom/ParentVersionError.java
index 188308cd46bd..1f4390166236 100644
--- a/java/maven.hints/src/org/netbeans/modules/maven/hints/pom/ParentVersionError.java
+++ b/java/maven.hints/src/org/netbeans/modules/maven/hints/pom/ParentVersionError.java
@@ -108,12 +108,12 @@ public List<ErrorDescription> getErrorsForDocument(POMModel model, Project prj)
                     if (parentPrj != null) {
                         NbMavenProject nbprj = parentPrj.getLookup().lookup(NbMavenProject.class);
                         if (nbprj != null) { //do we have some non-maven project maybe?
-                            MavenProject mav = nbprj.getMavenProject();
-                            if(declaredVersion.startsWith("${") && declaredVersion.endsWith("}")){
-                                String key = declaredVersion.substring(2, declaredVersion.length()-1);
-                                Properties props = model.getProject().getProperties();
-                                if(props != null && props.getProperties().containsKey(key)){
-                                    declaredVersion = props.getProperties().get(key);
+                            MavenProject mav = nbprj.getMavenProject();  
+                            if(PomModelUtils.isPropertyExpression(declaredVersion)){
+                                String key = PomModelUtils.getPropertyName(declaredVersion);
+                                String propVal = PomModelUtils.getProperty(model, declaredVersion);
+                                if(propVal != null){
+                                    declaredVersion = propVal;
                                 }
                                 else {
                                     declaredVersion = mav.getProperties().getProperty(key, declaredVersion);