diff --git a/ant/plugin.properties b/ant/plugin.properties
index 550377bc..145fb819 100644
--- a/ant/plugin.properties
+++ b/ant/plugin.properties
@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 maven.ant.generatebuild.file = ${basedir}/build.xml
+maven.ant.use.properties     = true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ant/src/plugin-resources/templates/build.jelly b/ant/src/plugin-resources/templates/build.jelly
index 807f12e9..3ff2fb6a 100644
--- a/ant/src/plugin-resources/templates/build.jelly
+++ b/ant/src/plugin-resources/templates/build.jelly
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@
 
 <project name="${pom.artifactId}" default="jar" basedir=".">
   
+  <j:if test="${maven.ant.use.properties}">
+  <!-- Load local and user build preferences -->
+  <property file="build.properties"/>
+  <property file="$${user.home}/build.properties"/>
+  </j:if>
+  
   <j:set var="baseDirFile" value="${pom.file.canonicalFile.parentFile}"/>
   <maven:makeRelativePath basedir="${baseDirFile}" path="${maven.build.dir}" separator="/" var="defaulttargetdir"/>
   <property name="defaulttargetdir" value="${defaulttargetdir}"/> 
@@ -67,8 +73,6 @@
   <property name="javadocdir" value="dist/docs/api"/>
   <property name="final.name" value="${maven.final.name}"/>
 
-  <property file="build.properties"/>
-
   <path id="build.classpath">
     <fileset dir="$${libdir}" >
       <include name="**/*.jar"/>
diff --git a/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml b/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
index dd466f1c..d61539c1 100644
--- a/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
+++ b/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
     <u:file name="${basedir}/build.xml" var="buildFile"/>
     <x:parse var="buildXml" xml="${buildFile.toURL()}"/>
     <x:set var="properties" select="$buildXml/project/property"/>
-    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirName" value="${properties[0].attribute('name').value}"/>
-    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirValue" value="${properties[0].attribute('value').value}"/>
+    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirName" value="${properties[2].attribute('name').value}"/>
+    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirValue" value="${properties[2].attribute('value').value}"/>
     <assert:assertEquals expected="defaulttargetdir" value="${defaulttargetdirName}" msg="first target is not defaulttargetdir"/>
     <assert:assertEquals expected="target" value="${defaulttargetdirValue}" msg="defaulttargetdir property is not relative"/>
     <!-- check obey jar override -->
diff --git a/ant/xdocs/properties.xml b/ant/xdocs/properties.xml
index cc7748c4..82d39afd 100644
--- a/ant/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/ant/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -16,14 +16,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
  -->
-
 <document>
-
   <properties>
     <title>Maven Ant Plugin Properties</title>
     <author email="dion@multitask.com.au">dIon Gillard</author>
   </properties>
-
   <body>
     <section name="Maven Ant Plugin Settings">
       <table>
@@ -42,7 +39,7 @@
         </tr>
         <tr>
           <td colspan="3">
-<source>
+            <source>
 maven.ant.excludeTests=**/*Test.java,**/*Suite.java
 </source>
           </td>
@@ -59,4 +56,4 @@ maven.ant.excludeTests=**/*Test.java,**/*Suite.java
       </table>
     </section>
   </body>
-</document>
\ No newline at end of file
+</document>