diff --git a/scm/plugin.jelly b/scm/plugin.jelly
index 9f26327f..0fd625b6 100644
--- a/scm/plugin.jelly
+++ b/scm/plugin.jelly
@@ -329,12 +329,25 @@
       <c:release-version version="${version_name}" />
     </j:if>
 
-    <ant:echo>Committing descriptors</ant:echo>
-    <!-- No tag here - in this context it means the branch to commit to, and we want whatever this checkout current is on -->
-    <scm:checkin url="${scmConnection}" workingDirectory="${basedir}" includes="project.xml,xdocs/changes.xml" message="[maven-scm-plugin] prepare release ${version_name}" username="${maven.scm.username}" password="${maven.scm.password}" />
+    <j:choose>
+      <j:when test="${maven.scm.testmode == 'true'}">
+        <ant:echo> </ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo> WARNING: maven.scm.testmode is set to 'true'</ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo>          Changes made above will NOT be committed and tagging the project will be skipped! </ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo>          Please check project.xml and xdocs/changes.xml</ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo>          Then either re-run scm:prepare-release with maven.scm.testmode=false</ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo>          or manually commit the files and tag the source tree:</ant:echo>
+        <ant:echo>          maven scm:tag -Dmaven.scm.svn.tag=${tag_name} -Dmaven.scm.url=${scmConnection}</ant:echo>
+      </j:when>
+      <j:otherwise>
+        <ant:echo>Committing descriptors</ant:echo>
+        <!-- No tag here - in this context it means the branch to commit to, and we want whatever this checkout current is on -->
+        <scm:checkin url="${scmConnection}" workingDirectory="${basedir}" includes="project.xml,xdocs/changes.xml" message="[maven-scm-plugin] prepare release ${version_name}" username="${maven.scm.username}" password="${maven.scm.password}" />
+        <ant:echo>Tagging source tree</ant:echo>
+        <scm:tag url="${scmConnection}" workingDirectory="${basedir}" tag="${tag_name}" tagBase="${maven.scm.svn.tag.base}" username="${maven.scm.username}" password="${maven.scm.password}" />
+      </j:otherwise>
+    </j:choose>
 
-    <ant:echo>Tagging source tree</ant:echo>
-    <scm:tag url="${scmConnection}" workingDirectory="${basedir}" tag="${tag_name}" tagBase="${maven.scm.svn.tag.base}" username="${maven.scm.username}" password="${maven.scm.password}" />
   </goal>
 
   <goal name="scm:create-patch" description="Create a patch file for changes single last SCM update" prereqs="scm:find-connection">
diff --git a/scm/plugin.properties b/scm/plugin.properties
index f5b53426..387cd850 100644
--- a/scm/plugin.properties
+++ b/scm/plugin.properties
@@ -56,3 +56,6 @@ maven.scm.message=
 maven.scm.patch.file=patch.txt
 # The working directory for patching
 maven.scm.patch.dir=${maven.build.dir}/scm/patch
+
+# test mode for scm:prepare-release: if true, skip committing and tagging
+maven.scm.testmode=false
diff --git a/scm/xdocs/changes.xml b/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
index 83b7ec65..94572c8f 100644
--- a/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.6-SNAPSHOT" date="in SVN">
+      <action dev="ltheussl" type="update" issue="MPSCM-77">Make it possible to check changes made by prepare-release before they are checked in and tagged. New property <code>maven.scm.testmode</code>.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="update" issue="MPSCM-68">Update to maven-scm 1.0-beta-2.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPSCM-65" due-to="Phil Steitz">When pom.repository.connection ends with '/' checkout fails.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPSCM-57">Re-add changes.xml file to display announcements.</action>
diff --git a/scm/xdocs/properties.xml b/scm/xdocs/properties.xml
index 80232017..09ab1ff4 100644
--- a/scm/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/scm/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -165,8 +165,19 @@
               </p>
             </td>
           </tr>
-
-          
+          <tr>
+            <td>maven.scm.testmode</td>
+            <td>Yes</td>
+            <td>
+              <p>
+                When <code>true</code>, the <code>scm:prepare-release</code> goal
+                only updates the files <code>project.xml</code> and
+                <code>xdocs/changes.xml</code> but does not commit the changes.
+                Also the tagging of the source tree will be skipped.
+                Default value is <code>false</code>.
+              </p>
+            </td>
+          </tr>
         </table>
       </subsection>
       <subsection name="Subversion Specific Settings">
