diff --git a/org.adempiere.server-feature/product.ant b/org.adempiere.server-feature/product.ant
index c2829b81af..d6d7b83fcd 100644
--- a/org.adempiere.server-feature/product.ant
+++ b/org.adempiere.server-feature/product.ant
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 		<echo message="${equinox.launcher.jar}"/>
 		<echo message="${repository}"/>
 		<echo message="${destination}"/>
-		<java jar="${equinox.launcher.jar}" fork="true" failonerror="true" >
+		<java outputproperty="javaoutput" resultproperty="javaresult" jar="${equinox.launcher.jar}" fork="true" failonerror="false" >
 			<arg value="-application"/>
 			<arg value="org.eclipse.equinox.p2.director"/>
 			<arg value="-repository"/>
@@ -43,5 +43,16 @@
 			<arg value="-roaming"/>
 			<!-- jvmarg value="-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=8000,server=y,suspend=y"/ -->
 		</java>
+		<!-- IDEMPIERE-1618: This block gives an error message on console. Else errors here are hard 
+		     to identify for unexperienced users because the java runs in a fork and gives no output to
+		     stdout. Messages are still in the latest logfile in ECLIPSE_HOME/configuration 
+		     (or buckminster) - thanks to CarlosRuiz for this hint.
+		     -->
+		<echo message="${javaresult}" />
+		<fail message="result: ${javaresult}\n${javaoutput}">
+			<condition>
+				<not><equals arg1="${javaresult}" arg2="0"/></not>
+			</condition>
+		</fail>
 	</target>
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>