diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGenerator.java b/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGenerator.java
index bcd9cd3..6a5ded1 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGenerator.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGenerator.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import javax.swing.text.html.parser.ParserDelegator;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.descriptor.MojoDescriptor;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.descriptor.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.descriptor.PluginDescriptor;
+import org.apache.maven.tools.plugin.util.PluginUtils;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.logging.AbstractLogEnabled;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.logging.Logger;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.logging.console.ConsoleLogger;
@@ -524,7 +525,7 @@ public class PluginHelpGenerator
             }
         };
 
-        parser.parse( new StringReader( str ), htmlCallback, true );
+        parser.parse( new StringReader( PluginUtils.makeHtmlValid( str ) ), htmlCallback, true );
 
         return StringUtils.replace( sb.toString(), "\"", "'" ); // for CDATA
     }
diff --git a/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGeneratorTest.java b/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGeneratorTest.java
index 49cfbf7..6956751 100644
--- a/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGeneratorTest.java
+++ b/maven-plugin-tools-api/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/tools/plugin/generator/PluginHelpGeneratorTest.java
@@ -39,5 +39,9 @@ public class PluginHelpGeneratorTest
         // wrong HTML
         javadoc = "Generates <i>something</i> <b> for the project.";
         assertEquals( "Generates something for the project.", PluginHelpGenerator.toText( javadoc ) );
+
+        // javadoc inline tags
+        javadoc = "Generates {@code something} for the project.";
+        assertEquals( "Generates something for the project.", PluginHelpGenerator.toText( javadoc ) );
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}