diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/ComponentException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/ComponentException.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f38a7b64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/ComponentException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) The Apache Software Foundation. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This software is published under the terms of the Apache Software License
+ * version 1.1, a copy of which has been included with this distribution in
+ * the LICENSE.txt file.
+ */
+package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces;
+
+/**
+ * An exception thrown by a Myrmidon component.  This is a convenience
+ * class, which can be sub-classes to create exceptions for specific components.
+ *
+ * @author <a href="mailto:peter@apache.org">Peter Donald</a>
+ * @version $Revision$ $Date$
+ */
+public class ComponentException
+    extends Exception
+{
+    /**
+     * The Throwable that caused this exception to be thrown.
+     */
+    private final Throwable m_throwable;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
+     *
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
+     */
+    public ComponentException( final String message )
+    {
+        this( message, null );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
+     *
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
+     * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
+     */
+    public ComponentException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
+    {
+        super( message );
+        m_throwable = throwable;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
+     *
+     * @return the root cause
+     */
+    public final Throwable getCause()
+    {
+        return m_throwable;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/builder/ProjectException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/builder/ProjectException.java
index 86b9dc5d9..01b2771ca 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/builder/ProjectException.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/builder/ProjectException.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.builder;
 
+import org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.ComponentException;
+
 /**
  * A cascading exception thrown on a problem constructing a Project model.
  *
@@ -14,43 +16,26 @@ package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.builder;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  */
 public class ProjectException
-    extends Exception
+    extends ComponentException
 {
     /**
-     * If this exception is cascaded, the cause of this exception.
-     */
-    private final Throwable m_throwable;
-
-    /**
-     * Constructs an non-cascaded exception with a message
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
      *
-     * @param message the message
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      */
     public ProjectException( final String message )
-    {
-        this( message, null );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Constructs a cascaded exception with the supplied message, which links the
-     * Throwable provided.
-     *
-     * @param message the message
-     * @param throwable the throwable that caused this exception
-     */
-    public ProjectException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
         super( message );
-        m_throwable = throwable;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
      *
-     * @return the root cause
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
+     * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
      */
-    public final Throwable getCause()
+    public ProjectException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
-        return m_throwable;
+        super( message, throwable );
     }
 }
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/deployer/DeploymentException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/deployer/DeploymentException.java
index 98fc7cbed..82347fedf 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/deployer/DeploymentException.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/deployer/DeploymentException.java
@@ -7,49 +7,35 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.deployer;
 
+import org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.ComponentException;
+
 /**
  * Exception to indicate error deploying.
  *
  * @author <a href="mailto:peter@apache.org">Peter Donald</a>
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  */
-public final class DeploymentException
-    extends Exception
+public class DeploymentException
+    extends ComponentException
 {
     /**
-     * The Throwable that caused this exception to be thrown.
-     */
-    private final Throwable m_throwable;
-
-    /**
-     * Construct a new <code>DeploymentException</code> instance.
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
      *
      * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      */
     public DeploymentException( final String message )
     {
-        this( message, null );
+        super( message );
     }
 
     /**
-     * Construct a new <code>DeploymentException</code> instance.
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
      *
      * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
      */
     public DeploymentException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
-        super( message );
-        m_throwable = throwable;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
-     *
-     * @return the root cause
-     */
-    public final Throwable getCause()
-    {
-        return m_throwable;
+        super( message, throwable );
     }
 }
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/role/RoleException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/role/RoleException.java
index 1cdf75f24..67af367f3 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/role/RoleException.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/role/RoleException.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.role;
 
+import org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.ComponentException;
+
 /**
  * An exception thrown by the RoleManager.
  *
@@ -14,32 +16,26 @@ package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.role;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  */
 public class RoleException
-    extends Exception
+    extends ComponentException
 {
     /**
-     * The Throwable that caused this exception to be thrown.
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
+     *
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      */
-    private final Throwable m_throwable;
-
     public RoleException( final String message )
-    {
-        this( message, null );
-    }
-
-    public RoleException( final String message,
-                          final Throwable throwable )
     {
         super( message );
-        m_throwable = throwable;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
      *
-     * @return the root cause
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
+     * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
      */
-    public final Throwable getCause()
+    public RoleException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
-        return m_throwable;
+        super( message, throwable );
     }
 }
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/service/AntServiceException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/service/AntServiceException.java
index cf77eba13..f5dd77539 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/service/AntServiceException.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/service/AntServiceException.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.service;
 
+import org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.ComponentException;
+
 /**
  * ServiceException thrown when a service can not be created for
  * some reason.
@@ -15,51 +17,27 @@ package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.service;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  */
 public class AntServiceException
-    extends Exception
+    extends ComponentException
 {
     /**
-     * The Throwable that caused this exception to be thrown.
-     */
-    private final Throwable m_throwable;
-
-    /**
-     * Basic constructor for exception that does not specify a message
-     */
-    public AntServiceException()
-    {
-        this( "", null );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Basic constructor with a message
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
      *
-     * @param message the message
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      */
     public AntServiceException( final String message )
-    {
-        this( message, null );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Constructor that builds cascade so that other exception information can be retained.
-     *
-     * @param message the message
-     * @param throwable the throwable
-     */
-    public AntServiceException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
         super( message );
-        m_throwable = throwable;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
      *
-     * @return the root cause
+     * @param message The detail message for this exception.
+     * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
      */
-    public final Throwable getCause()
+    public AntServiceException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
-        return m_throwable;
+        super( message, throwable );
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/type/TypeException.java b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/type/TypeException.java
index ce12251c9..416ed5aa1 100644
--- a/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/type/TypeException.java
+++ b/proposal/myrmidon/src/java/org/apache/myrmidon/interfaces/type/TypeException.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
  */
 package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.type;
 
+import org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.ComponentException;
+
 /**
  * Exception to indicate problem with type instantiating.
  *
@@ -14,42 +16,26 @@ package org.apache.myrmidon.interfaces.type;
  * @version $Revision$ $Date$
  */
 public final class TypeException
-    extends Exception
+    extends ComponentException
 {
     /**
-     * The Throwable that caused this exception to be thrown.
-     */
-    private final Throwable m_throwable;
-
-    /**
-     * Construct a new <code>TypeException</code> instance.
+     * Constructs a non-cascaded exception.
      *
      * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      */
     public TypeException( final String message )
     {
-        this( message, null );
+        super( message );
     }
 
     /**
-     * Construct a new <code>TypeException</code> instance.
+     * Constructs a cascaded exception.
      *
      * @param message The detail message for this exception.
      * @param throwable the root cause of the exception
      */
     public TypeException( final String message, final Throwable throwable )
     {
-        super( message );
-        m_throwable = throwable;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Retrieve root cause of the exception.
-     *
-     * @return the root cause
-     */
-    public final Throwable getCause()
-    {
-        return m_throwable;
+        super( message, throwable );
     }
 }