[ISSUE]: GitVersion.MsBuild 6.5.1 on VS 2026 ... MsBuild Exception for WiX projects

[dorssel]

Prerequisites

• I have written a descriptive issue title
• I have searched issues to ensure it has not already been reported

GitVersion package

GitVersion.MsBuild

GitVersion version

6.5.1

Operating system

Windows

What are you seeing?

@arturcic
First of all: very nice to see VS support again. I've immediately reverted back from Dorssel.GitVersion.MsBuild to mainstream GitVersion.MsBuild. See dorssel/usbipd-win@a3f552a

However, the Installer project (https://github.com/dorssel/usbipd-win/blob/master/Installer/Installer.wixproj) uses WixToolset.Sdk, and in combination with GitVersion.MsBuild 6.5.1 it gives the following MSBuild exception in VS 2026:

1>MSBUILD : error : This is an unhandled exception in MSBuild -- PLEASE UPVOTE AN EXISTING ISSUE OR FILE A NEW ONE AT https://aka.ms/msbuild/unhandled
1>MSBUILD : error :     System.ArgumentNullException: Parameter "projectFile" cannot be null.
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.Shared.ErrorUtilities.ThrowArgumentNull(String parameterName, String resourceName)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.Exceptions.InvalidProjectFileException..ctor(String projectFile, Int32 lineNumber, Int32 columnNumber, Int32 endLineNumber, Int32 endColumnNumber, String message, String errorSubcategory, String errorCode, String helpKeyword, Exception innerException)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.Exceptions.InvalidProjectFileException..ctor(String message, InvalidProjectFileException innerException)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<ExecuteInstantiatedTask>d__26.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<InitializeAndExecuteTask>d__24.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<ExecuteBucket>d__19.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<ExecuteTask>d__18.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<ExecuteTask>d__13.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TargetEntry.<ProcessBucket>d__50.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TargetEntry.<ExecuteTarget>d__43.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TargetBuilder.<ProcessTargetStack>d__24.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TargetBuilder.<BuildTargets>d__11.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.RequestBuilder.<BuildProject>d__67.MoveNext()
1>MSBUILD : error : --- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
1>MSBUILD : error :    at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
1>MSBUILD : error :    at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.RequestBuilder.<RequestThreadProc>d__58.MoveNext()

Sure enough that is also an MsBuild problem (unhandled exception), but it was triggered by GitVersion. It may have something to do with: https://github.com/GitTools/GitVersion/blob/main/src/GitVersion.MsBuild/msbuild/tools/GitVersion.MsBuild.props#L45-L51. The exception mentions Parameter "projectFile" cannot be null and the GitVersion comment mentions injecting _TargetAssemblyProjectName.

Additional information: The RunGitVersion task is run successfully before the exception occurs (gitversion.json created correctly). However, the exception occurs soon after that, I don't see other artifacts before the MsBuild crash.

What is expected?

VS 2026 MsBuild does not crash when referencing GitVersion.MsBuild in a WiX project.

Steps to Reproduce

Build https://github.com/dorssel/usbipd-win Installer project from within VS 2026.

RepositoryFixture Test

No response

Output log or link to your CI build (if appropriate).

[dorssel]

Seems known: dotnet/msbuild#12723

Looks like TaskHost (apparently used by MSBuild 18 to run tasks outside the main MSBuild process) only works when the project uses the .NET SDK. Whereas WiX uses the WixToolset.Sdk.

[arturcic]

In that case not sure how to handle it. In any case thanks for sharing the link

[baronfel]

There's not a quick-and-easy answer for now aside from "Don't use .NET TaskHost if you think some of your users might not be managed code projects". We're tracking the feature request in dotnet/msbuild#12895 and figuring out what the best way to support these kinds of MSBuild SDKs is that doesn't also require a ton of work from these external MSBuild SDK authors.

[dorssel]

"Fixed" it by updating my Dorssel.GitVersion.MsBuild, see https://github.com/dorssel/gitversion-msbuild/releases/tag/v2.0.0

Only needed for building WiX projects from within Visual Studio. And much leaner than before: it simply uses <UsingTask Override> to replace GetVersion for WiX projects with a nestandard2.0 version.

[baronfel]

For a longer-term fix, this feature is only safe to use in .NET 10+ execution environments. The best way for you to tell if the current project is running in a compatible SDK is to use the $(SdkAnalysisLevel) property combined with the VersionGreaterThanOrEquals MSBuild property function in a Condition, like so:

<UsingTask .... Condition="$([MSBuild]::VersionGreaterThanOrEquals('$(SdkAnalysisLevel)', '10.0.100')) ..." />

This means that you will need to continue shipping non-.NET TaskHost compatible versions of your Tasks for as long as you want users of the lower-than-10 SDKs to use your integration. We're working on clearer error messages on our end so that users don't think that this is a problem with MSBuild/.NET, and instead are directed to the owners of the Tasks that didn't successfully load, etc.

[rogerbriggen-securiton]

I have the same problem with a normal asp.net core application using GitVersion 6.5.1 with Visual Studio 2026 but using a global.json to build with dotnet 8.
Is there an easy way to disable it?

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. After 30 days from now, it will be closed if no further activity occurs.

[rogerbriggen-securiton]

The problem is still there

[arturcic]

I have the same problem with a normal asp.net core application using GitVersion 6.5.1 with Visual Studio 2026 but using a global.json to build with dotnet 8. Is there an easy way to disable it?

yes, and the reason is in dotnet 10 they added the possibility to run https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/how-to-configure-targets-and-tasks?view=visualstudio#usingtask-attributes-and-task-parameters

the change - https://github.com/GitTools/GitVersion/pull/4750/changes#diff-1c5ba2bddf505f463fdb2f0b07abc20e8b5b53cafe6a286b4eb529c3275c40a4R22