diff --git a/devtools/maven/src/main/java/io/quarkus/maven/CreateProjectMojo.java b/devtools/maven/src/main/java/io/quarkus/maven/CreateProjectMojo.java
index 525dbeb34..48a30ca0a 100644
--- a/devtools/maven/src/main/java/io/quarkus/maven/CreateProjectMojo.java
+++ b/devtools/maven/src/main/java/io/quarkus/maven/CreateProjectMojo.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
+import javax.lang.model.SourceVersion;
+
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.DefaultMavenExecutionRequest;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenExecutionRequest;
@@ -192,6 +194,10 @@ public class CreateProjectMojo extends AbstractMojo {
             final SourceType sourceType = CreateProject.determineSourceType(extensions);
             sanitizeOptions(sourceType);
 
+            if (className != null && !isClassNameValid(className)) {
+                throw new MojoExecutionException("Unable to create the project, " + className + " is not valid FQCN.");
+            }
+
             final Map<String, Object> context = new HashMap<>();
             context.put("path", path);
 
@@ -383,6 +389,10 @@ public class CreateProjectMojo extends AbstractMojo {
         }
     }
 
+    private boolean isClassNameValid(String className) {
+        return SourceVersion.isName(className) && !SourceVersion.isKeyword(className);
+    }
+
     private void sanitizeExtensions() {
         extensions = extensions.stream().filter(Objects::nonNull).map(String::trim).collect(Collectors.toSet());
     }
diff --git a/integration-tests/maven/src/test/java/io/quarkus/maven/it/CreateProjectMojoIT.java b/integration-tests/maven/src/test/java/io/quarkus/maven/it/CreateProjectMojoIT.java
index 46d0851eb..2fefe7f62 100644
--- a/integration-tests/maven/src/test/java/io/quarkus/maven/it/CreateProjectMojoIT.java
+++ b/integration-tests/maven/src/test/java/io/quarkus/maven/it/CreateProjectMojoIT.java
@@ -133,6 +133,23 @@ public class CreateProjectMojoIT extends QuarkusPlatformAwareMojoTestBase {
         check(new File(testDir, "src/main/java/org/acme/MyResource.java"), "package org.acme;");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testProjectGenerationWithInvalidPackage() throws Exception {
+        testDir = initEmptyProject("projects/project-generation-invalid-package");
+        assertThat(testDir).isDirectory();
+        invoker = initInvoker(testDir);
+
+        Properties properties = new Properties();
+        properties.put("projectGroupId", "org.acme");
+        properties.put("projectArtifactId", "acme");
+        properties.put("className", "org.acme.invalid-package-name.MyResource");
+
+        InvocationResult result = setup(properties);
+
+        assertThat(result.getExitCode()).isNotZero();
+        assertThat(new File(testDir, "src/main/java/org/acme")).doesNotExist();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testProjectGenerationFromMinimalPomWithResource() throws Exception {
         testDir = initProject("projects/simple-pom-it", "projects/project-generation-from-empty-pom-with-resource");