diff --git a/javadoc/plugin.jelly b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
index 61b60620..2ff3a4fc 100644
--- a/javadoc/plugin.jelly
+++ b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
@@ -65,8 +65,14 @@
 
       <ant:property name="title" value="${pom.name} ${pom.currentVersion} API"/>
 
+      <!-- calculate online/offline mode -->
+      <j:set var="online" value="${maven.javadoc.mode.online}"/>
+      <j:if test="${empty(online)}">
+        <j:set var="online" value="${maven.mode.online}"/>
+      </j:if>
+
       <j:choose>
-        <j:when test="${maven.mode.online}">
+        <j:when test="${online}">
           <util:tokenize var="links" delim="," trim="true">${maven.javadoc.links}</util:tokenize>
           <j:forEach var="link" items="${links}">
             <ant:echo>Linking with API information from ${link.trim()} ...</ant:echo>
@@ -80,12 +86,6 @@
         </j:otherwise>
       </j:choose>
 
-      <util:tokenize var="links" delim="," trim="true">${maven.javadoc.links}</util:tokenize>
-
-      <j:forEach var="link" items="${links}">
-        <ant:echo>Linking with API information from ${link.trim()} ...</ant:echo>
-      </j:forEach>
-
       <j:set var="maxMemory" value="${maven.javadoc.maxmemory}" />
 
       <ant:mkdir dir="${maven.build.dir}/javadoc/" />
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 
           <!-- generate the link -->
           <j:choose>
-            <j:when test="${maven.mode.online}" />
+            <j:when test="${online}" />
               <ant:link href="${href}" offline="false" packagelistLoc="${packagelistLoc}" />
             <j:otherwise />
               <ant:link href="${href}" offline="true"  packagelistLoc="${packagelistLoc}" />
diff --git a/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml b/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
index 2bb6e865..944ac876 100644
--- a/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@
           <td>
             <p>
             Comma separated list of URLs to create links to javadoc output of 
-            other packages in online mode (maven.online.mode=true), works like 
-            the "-link" option of the javadoc command.
+            other packages in online mode (see properties maven.online.mode and
+            <a href="#maven.javadoc.mode.online">maven.javadoc.mode.online</a>).
+            Works like the "-link" option of the javadoc command.
             </p>
             <p>
             The URLs must link to a directory where the javadoc generated file
@@ -77,16 +78,36 @@ maven.javadoc.links=http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/, http://maven.apach
             </source>
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td><a name="maven.javadoc.mode.online">maven.javadoc.mode.online</a></td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            <p>
+              Default value is <code>${maven.mode.online}</code>.
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              If set, a value of <code>true</code> forces generation of javadoc in
+              online mode (using <code>${maven.javadoc.links}</code>).
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              Any other value means <code>false</code> and forces generation of javadoc
+              in offline mode (using <code>${maven.javadoc.offlineLinks}</code>).
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              This tag allows you to generate javadoc in mode different from the
+              "general" online/offline mode <code>${maven.mode.online}</code>.
+            </p>
+          </td>
+        </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>maven.javadoc.offlineLinks</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
           <td>
             <p>
-            Comma seperated list of URLs to create links to javadoc output of 
-            other packages in offline mode (maven.online.mode=false), works like
-            the "-linkoffline" option of the javadoc command.
-            Comma seperated list of URLs to create links to javadoc output of 
-            other packages, works like the "-link" option of the javadoc command.
+            Comma separated list of URLs to create links to javadoc output of 
+            other packages in offline mode (see properties maven.online.mode and
+            <a href="#maven.javadoc.mode.online">maven.javadoc.mode.online</a>).
+            Works like the "-linkoffline" option of the javadoc command.
             </p>
             <p>
             The URLs must link to a directory where the javadoc generated file