diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenId.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenId.kt
index 21201f99..bf17ab05 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenId.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenId.kt
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ class MavenId private constructor(val groupId: String, val artifactId: String, v
         val classifier: String?, val version: String?) {
 
     companion object {
-        fun isMavenId(id: String) = with(id.split(':')) {
-            size >= 3 && size <= 5
+        fun isMavenId(id: String) = if (id.startsWith("file://")) {
+            false
+        } else {
+            with(id.split(':')) {
+                size >= 3 && size <= 5
+            }
         }
 
         fun isRangedVersion(s: String): Boolean {
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenIdTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenIdTest.kt
index 59a5475c..1732274f 100644
--- a/src/test/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenIdTest.kt
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/maven/MavenIdTest.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ class MavenIdTest {
         )
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun isMavenId() {
+        Assert.assertFalse(MavenId.isMavenId("file://C:\\foo\\bar"))
+        Assert.assertFalse(MavenId.isMavenId("file:///home/user/foo/bar"))
+        Assert.assertFalse(MavenId.isMavenId("com.example:foo"))
+        Assert.assertTrue(MavenId.isMavenId("com.example:foo:"))
+        Assert.assertTrue(MavenId.isMavenId("com.example:foo:0.5.7"))
+        Assert.assertTrue(MavenId.isMavenId("com.example:foo:jar:0.3.0"))
+    }
+
     @Test(dataProvider = "dp")
     fun parseVersions(id: String, groupId: String, artifactId: String, version: String?,
             packaging: String?, qualifier: String?) {