diff --git a/pmd/plugin.jelly b/pmd/plugin.jelly
index fe69a9f9..6e58d92c 100644
--- a/pmd/plugin.jelly
+++ b/pmd/plugin.jelly
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@
           rulesetfiles="${maven.pmd.rulesetfiles}" 
           printToConsole="${maven.pmd.console}"
           failonerror="${maven.pmd.failonerror}"
-          failOnRuleViolation="${maven.pmd.failonruleviolation}">
+          failOnRuleViolation="${maven.pmd.failonruleviolation}"
+          targetjdk="${maven.pmd.targetjdk}">
           <formatter type="xml" toFile="${maven.build.dir}/pmd-raw-report.xml"/>
           <fileset dir="${pom.build.sourceDirectory}" 
             includes="${maven.pmd.includes}"
diff --git a/pmd/plugin.properties b/pmd/plugin.properties
index eb5cef19..7c119941 100644
--- a/pmd/plugin.properties
+++ b/pmd/plugin.properties
@@ -48,4 +48,7 @@ maven.pmd.console = false
 
 # Fail the build ?
 maven.pmd.failonerror = false
-maven.pmd.failonruleviolation = false
\ No newline at end of file
+maven.pmd.failonruleviolation = false
+
+# JDK target
+maven.pmd.targetjdk = ${maven.compile.source}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pmd/xdocs/changes.xml b/pmd/xdocs/changes.xml
index 7bdcbf64..4f511ef6 100644
--- a/pmd/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/pmd/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.8-SNAPSHOT" date="In SVN">
+      <action dev="aheritier" type="add" issue="MPPMD-19" due-to="Wim Deblauwe">New property "maven.pmd.targetjdk" to define the target JDK.</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="add">Add a link on each error to explain it.</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="add" issue="MPPMD-21">New properties "maven.pmd.failonerror" and "maven.pmd.failonruleviolation" to fail the build if any errors or problems are found.</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="add" issue="MPPMD-13">New property "maven.pmd.console" to display pmd errors to the console.</action>
diff --git a/pmd/xdocs/properties.xml b/pmd/xdocs/properties.xml
index 3f12ff30..51ee1ee9 100644
--- a/pmd/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/pmd/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@
             Whether or not to fail the build if PMD finds any problems. Defaults to false.
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.pmd.targetjdk</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            	Target JDK 1.3, 1.4, or 1.5.. Defaults to ${maven.compile.source}.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
       </table>
     </section>
   </body>
