diff --git a/ear/plugin.jelly b/ear/plugin.jelly
index c3682c87..733adf35 100644
--- a/ear/plugin.jelly
+++ b/ear/plugin.jelly
@@ -133,12 +133,12 @@
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <goal name="ear:generate-ear-descriptor" description="Generates the ear descriptor">
      
-     <ant:echo>Generating appxml file:"${maven.ear.appxml} version ${maven.ear.appxml.version}"</ant:echo>
+     <ant:echo>Generating appxml file:"${maven.ear.appxml} version ${maven.ear.appxml.version} encoding: ${maven.ear.appxml.encoding}"</ant:echo>
      
      <j:file  name="${maven.ear.appxml}"
               outputMode="xml"
               prettyPrint="true"
-              encoding="UTF-8"
+              encoding="${maven.ear.appxml.encoding}"
      >
 
         <j:switch on="${maven.ear.appxml.version}">
diff --git a/ear/plugin.properties b/ear/plugin.properties
index 56206d8f..da363147 100644
--- a/ear/plugin.properties
+++ b/ear/plugin.properties
@@ -30,4 +30,5 @@ maven.ear.manifest=${maven.ear.descriptordir}/MANIFEST.MF
 maven.ear.appxml.generate=false
 maven.ear.displayname=${pom.id}
 maven.ear.appxml.version=1.3
-maven.ear.resources=${maven.build.dir}/ear
\ No newline at end of file
+maven.ear.resources=${maven.build.dir}/ear
+maven.ear.appxml.encoding=UTF-8
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ear/xdocs/changes.xml b/ear/xdocs/changes.xml
index 9669c0b4..3c80b33e 100644
--- a/ear/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/ear/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.6-SNAPSHOT" date="in CVS">
+      <action dev="felipeal" type="add" issue="MPEAR-21">Added property <code>maven.ear.appxml.encoding</code>.</action>
       <action dev="vmassol" type="update" issue="MPEAR-19">
         The plugin now displays the version of the bundled artifacts on the 
         console.
diff --git a/ear/xdocs/properties.xml b/ear/xdocs/properties.xml
index 8e0a8ad7..42828966 100644
--- a/ear/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/ear/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
   </properties>
 
   <body>
-    <section name="ejb jar settings">
+    <section name="ear settings">
       <table>
         <tr><th>Property</th><th>Optional?</th><th>Description</th><th>Default</th></tr>
         <tr>
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
           <td>maven.ear.appxml</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
           <td>
-            Location of the application.xml file 
+            Location of the <code>application.xml</code> file 
             to be used within the ear file.
           </td>
           <td>
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           <td>maven.ear.appxml.generate</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
           <td>
-            Indicates if application.xml files should
+            Indicates if <code>application.xml</code> files should
             be autogenerated 
           </td>
           <td>
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@
           <td>maven.ear.appxml.version</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
           <td>
-            Inserts the doctype header depending on the specified version. Default is 1.3
+            Inserts the doctype header depending on the specified version.
           </td>
           <td>
-            false
+            1.3
           </td>
         </tr>
         <tr>
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
           <td>Yes</td>
           <td>
             Display name of the application to be used
-            when application.xml file is autogenerated
+            when <code>application.xml</code> file is autogenerated
           </td>
           <td>
             ${pom.id}
@@ -101,6 +101,16 @@
             ${maven.src.dir}/application
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.ear.appxml.encoding</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            Character encoding for the auto-generated <code>application.xml</code> file.
+          </td>
+          <td>
+            UTF-8
+          </td>
+        </tr>
       </table>
     </section>
     <section name="other settings">
@@ -146,8 +156,8 @@
         
       <p>
       Those artifact will be also "visible" during generation
-      of application.xml file. In case of war artifacts you can also
-      specify context root which will be set in application.xml file:
+      of <code>application.xml</code> file. In case of war artifacts you can also
+      specify context root which will be set in <code>application.xml</code> file:
       </p>
     <source><![CDATA[
     <dependency>

Property	Optional?	Description	Default
maven.ear.appxml	Yes	- Location of the application.xml file + Location of the `application.xml` file to be used within the ear file.	@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@	maven.ear.appxml.generate	Yes	- Indicates if application.xml files should + Indicates if `application.xml` files should be autogenerated	@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@	maven.ear.appxml.version	Yes	- Inserts the doctype header depending on the specified version. Default is 1.3 + Inserts the doctype header depending on the specified version.	- false + 1.3
Yes	Display name of the application to be used - when application.xml file is autogenerated + when `application.xml` file is autogenerated	${pom.id} @@ -101,6 +101,16 @@ ${maven.src.dir}/application
maven.ear.appxml.encoding	Yes	+ Character encoding for the auto-generated `application.xml` file. +	+ UTF-8 +