diff --git a/repository/plugin.jelly b/repository/plugin.jelly
index f6c3bcfe..880625df 100644
--- a/repository/plugin.jelly
+++ b/repository/plugin.jelly
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
      ! @param command the command to execute
      !-->
     <define:tag name="exec">
+       <!-- allow either command attribute or use body of exec tag -->
+       <j:if test="${empty(command)}">
+         <j:set var="command" trim="yes"><define:invokeBody/></j:set>
+       </j:if>
+       <echo>Executing '${command}' remotely</echo>
        <exec dir="." executable="${maven.ssh.executable}">
          <arg line='${maven.repo.central} -l ${maven.username} "${command}"'/>
        </exec>
@@ -161,7 +166,6 @@
          <repository:urlFileName url="${file}" var="fileName"/>
          <j:set var="command" value="cd ${directory}"/>
          <j:set var="command" value="${command};ln -s ${fileName} ${group}.license"/>
-         <echo>Executing '${command}' remotely</echo>
          <repository:exec command="${command}" />
        </j:if>
      </x:forEach>
@@ -214,7 +218,6 @@
     <j:set var="command" value="${command};chmod g+ws ${groupId}"/>
     <j:set var="command" value="${command};chmod -R g+w ${groupId}"/>
     <j:set var="command" value="${command};chmod -R a+r ${groupId}"/>
-    <echo>executing '${command}' remotely</echo>
     <repository:exec command="${command}" />
   </goal>
 
@@ -226,13 +229,15 @@
     </j:if>
     <j:set var="command" value="cd ${maven.repo.central.directory}"/>
     <j:set var="command" value="${command};rm -rf ${groupId}" />
-    <echo>executing '${command}' remotely</echo>
     <repository:exec command="${command}" />
   </goal>
   
-  <!-- this is pretty much a copy of whats in jar:deploy-snapshot -->
-  <goal name="repository:deploy-snapshot-jar"
-    description="deploy a snapshot jar, specified by groupId and artifact, to the repository">
+  <!-- 
+   ! this is pretty much a copy of whats in jar:deploy-snapshot, except
+   ! this uses any old file for copying, not just the output of the project
+   !-->
+  <goal name="repository:copy-snapshot-jar"
+    description="copy a snapshot jar, specified by groupId and artifact, to the repository">
     
     <j:if test="${empty(artifact)}">
       <fail>artifact must be specified</fail>
@@ -256,15 +261,43 @@
     <u:file name="${artifact}" var="artifactFile"/>
     <j:set var="artifactName">${artifactFile.canonicalFile.name}</j:set>
 
-    <j:set var="command" value="cd ${directory}"/>
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};md5sum ${artifactName} | sed 's/ .*$//' > ${artifactName}.md5" />
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};ln -sf ${artifactName} ${artifactId}-SNAPSHOT.jar"/>
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};ln -sf ${artifactName}.md5 ${artifactId}-SNAPSHOT.jar.md5"/>
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};echo ${snapshotVersion} > ${artifactId}-snapshot-version"/>
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};chmod g+w *"/>
-    <j:set var="command" value="${command};chgrp ${maven.repository.group} *"/>
-    <echo>Executing '${command}' remotely</echo>
-    <repository:exec command="${command}" />
+    <repository:exec>
+      cd ${directory};
+      md5sum ${artifactName} | sed 's/ .*$//' > ${artifactName}.md5;
+      ln -sf ${artifactName} ${artifactId}-SNAPSHOT.jar;
+      ln -sf ${artifactName}.md5 ${artifactId}-SNAPSHOT.jar.md5;
+      echo ${snapshotVersion} > ${artifactId}-snapshot-version;
+      chgrp ${maven.repository.group} *;
+      chmod g+w *;
+      chmod a+r *;
+    </repository:exec>
+  </goal>
+
+  <!-- 
+   ! this uses any old file for copying
+   !-->
+  <goal name="repository:copy-jar"
+    description="copy a jar, specified by groupId and artifact, to the repository">
+    <j:if test="${empty(artifact)}">
+      <fail>artifact must be specified</fail>
+    </j:if>
+    <j:if test="${empty(groupId)}">
+      <fail>groupId must be specified</fail>
+    </j:if>
+
+    <j:set var="directory" value="${maven.repo.central.directory}/${groupId}/jars/" />
+    <repository:copy from="${artifact}" toFileOrDir="${directory}" />
+
+    <u:file name="${artifact}" var="artifactFile"/>
+    <j:set var="artifactName">${artifactFile.canonicalFile.name}</j:set>
+
+    <repository:exec>
+      cd ${directory};
+      md5sum ${artifactName} | sed 's/ .*$//' > ${artifactName}.md5;
+      chgrp ${maven.repository.group};
+      chmod g+w;
+      chmod a+r
+    </repository:exec>
   </goal>
   
 </project>