diff --git a/plugin/plugin.jelly b/plugin/plugin.jelly
index eab55f88..2ef0ca94 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.jelly
+++ b/plugin/plugin.jelly
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@
   </goal>
   
   <!-- download a plugin from a remote repo -->
-  <!-- TODO - is this still needed with plugin dependencies? -->
   <goal name="plugin:download">
     <maven:param-check value="${artifactId}" fail="true" message="'artifactId' must be specified"/>
     <maven:param-check value="${groupId}" fail="true" message="'groupId' must be specified"/>
@@ -184,10 +183,22 @@
       <u:file var="localPlugin" 
         name="${maven.home}/plugins/${artifactId}-${version}.jar" />
       <j:if test="${!localPlugin.exists()}">
+        <u:file var="localPluginFile" name="${localPlugin}"/>
         <j:set var="remoteFile"
           value="${repo}/${groupId}/plugins/${artifactId}-${version}.jar" />
         <echo>trying to download ${remoteFile}</echo>
-        <http:get uri="${remoteFile}" var="outputVar" />
+        <j:invokeStatic var="dummy" method="getFile" 
+          className="org.apache.maven.util.HttpUtils">
+          <j:arg type="java.lang.String" value="${remoteFile}" />
+          <j:arg type="java.io.File" value="${localPluginFile}"/>
+          <j:arg type="boolean" value="false"/>
+          <j:arg type="boolean" value="true"/>
+          <j:arg type="java.lang.String" value="${maven.proxy.host}" />
+          <j:arg type="java.lang.String" value="${maven.proxy.port}" />
+          <j:arg type="java.lang.String" value="${maven.proxy.username}" />
+          <j:arg type="java.lang.String" value="${maven.proxy.password}" />
+          <j:arg type="boolean" value="false"/>
+        </j:invokeStatic>
       </j:if>
     </j:forEach>
   </goal>
diff --git a/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml b/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
index 55369de1..70f34a1d 100644
--- a/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 
   <body>
 	<release version="1.1" date="in CVS">
+	  <action dev="dion" type="add">
+	    Added plugin:download goal
+	  </action>
       <action dev="evenisse" type="fix">
         Fixed MAVEN-708. Fix the goals description generation if there is no plugin.jelly file.
       </action>
diff --git a/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml b/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
index 7742257c..c887eed0 100644
--- a/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
+++ b/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@
         <name>plugin:deploy</name>
         <description>Install an unpacked version of the plugin</description>
       </goal>
+      <goal>
+        <name>plugin:download</name>
+        <description>
+          Download and install plugin from the remote repos.
+          Must provide groupId, artifactId and version variables.
+        </description>
+      </goal>
       <goal>
         <name>plugin:generate-docs</name>
         <description>Generate navigation, goals and properties docs</description>
