diff -r 747eec42e7ae distutils2/create.py
--- a/distutils2/create.py	Mon May 21 17:01:44 2012 -0400
+++ b/distutils2/create.py	Sat May 26 21:05:25 2012 -0400
@@ -668,25 +668,29 @@
 
     def set_maturity_status(self, classifiers):
         maturity_name = lambda mat: mat.split('- ')[-1]
-        maturity_question = '''\
-            Please select the project status:
+        choices = {}
+        choice_prompts = []
+        for i, n in enumerate(PROJECT_MATURITY):
+            choices[str(i + 1)] = n
+            choice_prompts.append('%s - %s' % (i + 1, maturity_name(n)))
 
-            %s
+        maturity_question = '''Please select the project status:
 
-            Status''' % '\n'.join('%s - %s' % (i, maturity_name(n))
-                                  for i, n in enumerate(PROJECT_MATURITY))
+%s
+
+Status''' % '\n'.join(choice_prompts)
+
         while True:
             choice = ask(dedent(maturity_question), required=False)
+            if not choice:
+                return
 
-            if choice:
-                try:
-                    choice = int(choice) - 1
-                    key = PROJECT_MATURITY[choice]
-                    classifiers.add(key)
-                    return
-                except (IndexError, ValueError):
-                    logger.error(
-                        "Invalid selection, type a single digit number.")
+            try:
+                classifiers.add(choices[choice])
+                return
+            except (KeyError):
+                logger.error(
+                    "Invalid selection, type a number from the list above.")
 
 
 def main():
diff -r 747eec42e7ae distutils2/tests/test_create.py
--- a/distutils2/tests/test_create.py	Mon May 21 17:01:44 2012 -0400
+++ b/distutils2/tests/test_create.py	Sat May 26 21:05:25 2012 -0400
@@ -46,6 +46,17 @@
         self.assertEqual('b', ask(str(list(range(0, 70))), default='c',
                                   lengthy=True))
 
+    def test_set_maturity_status(self):
+        mainprogram = MainProgram()
+        create.raw_input = Inputs('', '0', '2')
+        # test skipping choosing a maturity status
+        mainprogram.set_maturity_status(mainprogram.classifiers)
+        self.assertEqual(set(), mainprogram.classifiers)
+        # test entering a bad option followed by a good one.
+        mainprogram.set_maturity_status(mainprogram.classifiers)
+        self.assertEqual(set([create.PROJECT_MATURITY[1]]), 
+                         mainprogram.classifiers)
+
     def test_set_multi(self):
         mainprogram = MainProgram()
         create.raw_input = Inputs('aaaaa')