diff --git a/test/plugin.jelly b/test/plugin.jelly
index dcb7abd4..02d9ccb7 100644
--- a/test/plugin.jelly
+++ b/test/plugin.jelly
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
           <pathelement path="${maven.build.dest}"/>
           <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no') and !context.getVariable('maven.test.excludeXmlApis').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('yes') }">
             <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
             <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
           </j:if>
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
           <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
           <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no') and !context.getVariable('maven.test.excludeXmlApis').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('yes') }">
             <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
             <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
           </j:if>
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@
         <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
         <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
         <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-        <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+        <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no') and !context.getVariable('maven.test.excludeXmlApis').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('yes') }">
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
         </j:if>
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@
               <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
               <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
               <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no') and !context.getVariable('maven.test.excludeXmlApis').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('yes') }">
                 <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
                 <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
               </j:if>
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@
               <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
               <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
               <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no') and !context.getVariable('maven.test.excludeXmlApis').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('yes') }">
                 <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
                 <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
               </j:if>
diff --git a/test/plugin.properties b/test/plugin.properties
index 02436a6d..88a71d69 100644
--- a/test/plugin.properties
+++ b/test/plugin.properties
@@ -33,3 +33,4 @@ maven.junit.usefile = true
 maven.test.dest = ${maven.build.dir}/test-classes
 maven.test.reportsDirectory = ${maven.build.dir}/test-reports
 maven.test.skip = false
+maven.test.excludeXmlApis = no
diff --git a/test/project.xml b/test/project.xml
index 3d7dcf70..744d1ed4 100644
--- a/test/project.xml
+++ b/test/project.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   <pomVersion>3</pomVersion>
   <id>maven-test-plugin</id>
   <name>Maven Test Plug-in</name>
-  <currentVersion>1.7</currentVersion>
+  <currentVersion>1.7.1-SNAPSHOT</currentVersion>
   <description>Run JUnit tests.</description>
   <shortDescription>Run JUnit tests</shortDescription>
   <url>http://maven.apache.org/reference/plugins/test/</url>
diff --git a/test/xdocs/changes.xml b/test/xdocs/changes.xml
index 3b0328ed..66c81988 100644
--- a/test/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/test/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
     <author email="dion@multitask.com.au">dIon Gillard</author>
   </properties>
   <body>
+    <release version="1.7.1-SNAPSHOT" date="in SVN">
+      <action dev="brett" type="add" due-to="Eric Hartmann" issue="MPTEST-55">Add maven.test.excludeXmlApis property to avoid duplicated Xerces</action>
+    </release>
     <release version="1.7" date="2005-08-09">
       <action dev="carlos" type="add">Added maven.junit.forkmode property</action>
       <action dev="carlos" type="update">Allow multiple patterns in testmatchpattern and testnotmatchpattern</action>
diff --git a/test/xdocs/properties.xml b/test/xdocs/properties.xml
index aa7f2267..8f1013b6 100644
--- a/test/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/test/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -198,6 +198,15 @@ maven.test.search.classdir=true
             </source>
           </td>
         </tr>
+       <tr>
+          <td>maven.test.excludeXmlApis</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            If set to yes, the XML APIs will not be added to the list of libraries used for your test cases
+            when forked. This should be used when you provide your own XML APIs library. By default, it is
+            <code>no</code>.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
 
        <tr>
           <td>testmatchpattern</td>