diff --git a/visural-common/src/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanList.java b/visural-common/src/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanList.java
index 97e46ae..b30832a 100644
--- a/visural-common/src/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanList.java
+++ b/visural-common/src/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanList.java
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public BeanList<T> resort() {
 
     private BeanList<T> sort(final String... properties) {
         Collections.sort(list, new Comparator<T>() {
+            @Override
             public int compare(T o1, T o2) {
                 try {
                     for (int n = 0; n < properties.length; n++) {
@@ -109,12 +110,16 @@ public int compare(T o1, T o2) {
                             property = property.substring(1);
                         }
                         Class type = BeanUtil.getPropertyType(o1, property);
-                        Method getter = BeanUtil.findGetter(o1.getClass(), property);
-                        if (getter == null) {
-                            throw new IllegalStateException("Property '"+property+"' can not be resolved.");
+                        Method getter1 = BeanUtil.findGetter(o1.getClass(), property);
+                        if (getter1 == null) {
+                            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Property '%s' on class '%s' can not be resolved.", property, o1.getClass().getName()));
                         }
-                        Object val1 = getter.invoke(o1);
-                        Object val2 = getter.invoke(o2);
+                        Method getter2 = BeanUtil.findGetter(o2.getClass(), property);
+                        if (getter2 == null) {
+                            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Property '%s' on class '%s' can not be resolved.", property, o2.getClass().getName()));
+                        }
+                        Object val1 = getter1.invoke(o1);
+                        Object val2 = getter2.invoke(o2);
 
                         int result = 0;
 
diff --git a/visural-common/test/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanListTest.java b/visural-common/test/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanListTest.java
index 6e509fe..a19083f 100644
--- a/visural-common/test/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanListTest.java
+++ b/visural-common/test/com/visural/common/datastruct/BeanListTest.java
@@ -111,7 +111,59 @@ public void setS3(String s3) {
         public String toString() {
             return String.format("%s %s %s\n", s1, s2, s3);
         }
+    }
+    
+    ////////////////////////////////////////////////
+    
+    public abstract static class Parent {
+        private String parent = "p";
+
+        public String getParent() {
+            return parent;
+        }
 
+        public void setParent(String parent) {
+            this.parent = parent;
+        }
+        
+        public abstract String getAbstract();
+    }
+    
+    public class Child1 extends Parent {
 
+        private String abstractStr = Double.valueOf(Math.random()).toString();
+        
+        @Override
+        public String getAbstract() {
+            return abstractStr;
+        }        
+    }    
+    
+    public class Child2 extends Parent {
+
+        private String abstractStr = Double.valueOf(Math.random()).toString();
+        
+        @Override
+        public String getAbstract() {
+            return abstractStr+20;
+        }        
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * A test which ensures that beans which descend from a common parent can 
+     * be sorted on an abstract parent property even 
+     * when different implementations are provided.
+     * @throws Exception 
+     */
+    public void testAbstractBean() throws Exception {       
+        BeanList<Parent> bl = new BeanList<BeanListTest.Parent>(new ArrayList<Parent>(), 4);
+        for (int n = 0; n < 100; n++) {
+            if (Math.random() < 0.5d) {
+                bl.add(new Child1());
+            } else {
+                bl.add(new Child2());
+            }
+        }
+        bl.sortByProperties("abstract");
     }
 }