diff --git a/java/plugin.jelly b/java/plugin.jelly
index 23df90da..aab1c5b5 100644
--- a/java/plugin.jelly
+++ b/java/plugin.jelly
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@
       	<ant:javac
           destdir="${maven.build.dest}"
           excludes="**/package.html"
+          failonerror="${maven.compile.failonerror}"
           debug="${maven.compile.debug}"
           debuglevel="${maven.compile.debuglevel}"
           nowarn="${maven.compile.nowarn}"
diff --git a/java/plugin.properties b/java/plugin.properties
index e03ff8ac..3123e601 100644
--- a/java/plugin.properties
+++ b/java/plugin.properties
@@ -21,4 +21,5 @@
 maven.compile.log=${maven.build.dir}/compile.log
 maven.compile.deprecation=on
 maven.compile.nowarn=off
-maven.compile.debuglevel=lines,vars,source
\ No newline at end of file
+maven.compile.debuglevel=lines,vars,source
+maven.compile.failonerror=true
diff --git a/java/xdocs/changes.xml b/java/xdocs/changes.xml
index 8da8c51b..5bfa52ff 100644
--- a/java/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/java/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.6-SNAPSHOT" date="in SVN">
+      <action dev="ltheussl" type="add" issue="MPJAVA-41">New property <code>maven.compile.failonerror</code>.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="add" issue="MPJAVA-32">New property <code>maven.compile.debuglevel</code>.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="add" issue="MPJAVA-44">New property <code>maven.compile.nowarn</code>.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPJAVA-23">Set <code>maven.compile.deprecation=on</code> by default.</action>
diff --git a/java/xdocs/properties.xml b/java/xdocs/properties.xml
index f4d9b626..85ec1ff0 100644
--- a/java/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/java/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -256,6 +256,21 @@
             </p>
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.compile.failonerror</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            <p>
+              Indicates whether the build will continue even if there are
+              compilation errors; defaults to <code>true</code>.
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              Corresponds to the <code>failonerror</code> attribute for the ant 
+              <a href="http://ant.apache.org/manual/CoreTasks/javac.html">javac</a>
+              task.
+            </p>
+          </td>
+        </tr>
       </table>
     </section>
     <section name="Other Settings">
