diff --git a/javadoc/plugin.jelly b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
index 6cd48f80..08722789 100644
--- a/javadoc/plugin.jelly
+++ b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
@@ -444,6 +444,11 @@ internal_javadoc_working_dir      = [${internal_javadoc_working_dir}]
             <ant:setProperty name="stylesheetfile" value="${maven.javadoc.stylesheet}" />
           </j:if>
   
+          <j:if test="${context.getVariable('maven.docs.outputencoding') != null}">
+            <ant:setProperty name="docencoding" value="${maven.docs.outputencoding}" />
+            <ant:setProperty name="charset" value="${maven.docs.outputencoding}" />
+          </j:if>
+ 
           <!-- allow custom tags -->    
           <util:tokenize var="listOfTags" delim=" ">${maven.javadoc.customtags}</util:tokenize>
           <j:forEach var="someTag" items="${listOfTags}">
diff --git a/javadoc/xdocs/changes.xml b/javadoc/xdocs/changes.xml
index 8c8e44fb..43d96837 100644
--- a/javadoc/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/javadoc/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
   <body>
     <release version="1.7-SNAPSHOT" date="In CVS">
       <action dev="aheritier" type="fix" issue="MPJAVADOC-46">Standard doclet parameters were passed to javadoc even if another doclet is used.</action>
+      <action dev="aheritier" type="add" issue="MPJAVADOC-45">Output encoding and charset are setted to ${maven.docs.outputencoding}</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="fix" issue="MPJAVADOC-44">Cannot build the plugin with jdk 1.3</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="fix" issue="MPJAVADOC-43">Javadoc plugin causes site to fail </action>
       <action dev="felipeal"  type="fix" issue="MPJAVADOC-42">Javadoc warning report was throwing exception when used with <code>Java 1.3</code>.</action>      
diff --git a/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml b/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
index cc618823..76078de1 100644
--- a/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/javadoc/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -339,6 +339,14 @@ maven.javadoc.offlineLinks=http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/#/opt/java-ap
             Sets the encoding of the .java files being documented (and compiled). 
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>Property</td>
+          <td>maven.docs.outputencoding</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            The character encoding for generated documentation. 
+          </td>
+        </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>Project descriptor</td>
           <td>pom.package</td>
