diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/PDEUIMessages.java b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/PDEUIMessages.java
index 2cd9973b82..ceb5e6ade8 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/PDEUIMessages.java
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/PDEUIMessages.java
@@ -3212,6 +3212,8 @@ public class PDEUIMessages extends NLS {
 
 	public static String TargetEditor_6;
 
+	public static String TargetEditor_7;
+
 	public static String FeatureImportWizardPage_importHasInvalid;
 
 	public static String ProductInfoSection_plugins;
diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/editor/targetdefinition/TargetEditor.java b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/editor/targetdefinition/TargetEditor.java
index 137cb76be0..c922864785 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/editor/targetdefinition/TargetEditor.java
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/editor/targetdefinition/TargetEditor.java
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ protected void pageChange(int newPageIndex) {
 			setActivePage(fSourceTabIndex);
 			CoreException ce = new CoreException(Status.error(e.getMessage(), e));
 			showError(PDEUIMessages.TargetEditor_5, ce);
+		} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+			setActivePage(fSourceTabIndex);
+			CoreException ce = new CoreException(Status.error(e.getMessage(), e));
+			showError(PDEUIMessages.TargetEditor_7, ce);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -560,6 +564,9 @@ private ITargetDefinition loadTargetDefinition() throws CoreException {
 			} catch (CoreException e) {
 				fTarget = service.newTarget();
 				throw e;
+			} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+				fTarget = service.newTarget();
+				throw new CoreException(Status.error(e.getMessage(), e));
 			}
 			PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getDisplay().asyncExec(
 					() -> TargetEditor.this.getTargetChangedListener().contentsChanged(fTarget, this, true, false));
diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/pderesources.properties b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/pderesources.properties
index e4b64b907e..cf0a5db436 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/pderesources.properties
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/pderesources.properties
@@ -1994,6 +1994,7 @@ TargetEditor_3=Unable to perform save
 TargetEditor_4=Target Editor
 TargetEditor_5=Unable to load target definition model. Fix the target definition model in Source View.
 TargetEditor_6=The editor input ''{0}'' is not supported.
+TargetEditor_7=Unable to parse the IU version
 TargetCreationPage_0=Initialize the target definition with:
 TargetCreationPage_1=Nothing: Start &with an empty target definition
 TargetCreationPage_2=&Default: Default target for the running platform