diff --git a/plugin/plugin.jelly b/plugin/plugin.jelly
index 86900a6a..28a8e985 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.jelly
+++ b/plugin/plugin.jelly
@@ -477,9 +477,9 @@ Try: maven plugin:download -DgroupId=maven -DartifactId=${pluginToTest} -Dversio
     
   <!-- test a plugin -->
   <goal name="plugin:test" description="Run a plugin's test project">
-    <u:available file="${basedir}/src/plugin-test/project.xml">
+    <u:available file="${basedir}/${maven.plugin.test.dir}/project.xml">
       <maven:maven
-        descriptor="${basedir}/src/plugin-test/project.xml"
+        descriptor="${basedir}/${maven.plugin.test.dir}/project.xml"
         goals="testPlugin"
         ignoreFailures="false" />
     </u:available>
diff --git a/plugin/plugin.properties b/plugin/plugin.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8958ef6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/plugin.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright 2001-2005 The Apache Software Foundation.
+# 
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#  
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# P L U G I N  P R O P E R T I E S
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Plugin plugin.
+# -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+maven.plugin.test.dir=src/plugin-test
diff --git a/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml b/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
index 71679eb0..2aa99b3a 100644
--- a/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/plugin/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.7-SNAPSHOT" date="In SVN">
+      <action dev="ltheussl" type="add" issue="MPPLUGIN-33">Allow plugin-test directory to be changed.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPPLUGIN-25" due-to="Jamie McCrindle, Barrie Treloar">NTLM Proxy Problem.</action>
       <action dev="carlos" type="fix" issue="MPPLUGIN-26">plugin:download didn't redownload SNAPSHOT plugins.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="add">new plugin:validate-xml tag to validate xml documents against a schema.</action>
diff --git a/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml b/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
index f7e23043..f592b5a6 100644
--- a/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
+++ b/plugin/xdocs/goals.xml
@@ -90,7 +90,13 @@
       </goal>
       <goal>
         <name>plugin:test</name>
-        <description>Run a plugin's test project</description>
+        <description>
+          Run a plugin's test project by executing maven with a goal called
+          <code>testPlugin</code> in <code>${maven.plugin.test.dir}</code>.
+          This directory should contain a <code>project.xml</code> project
+          descriptor and a custom <code>maven.xml</code> file that
+          defines the goal.
+        </description>
       </goal>
       <goal>
         <name>plugin:repository-install</name>
diff --git a/plugin/xdocs/properties.xml b/plugin/xdocs/properties.xml
index c9368c40..2652fa8c 100644
--- a/plugin/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/plugin/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@
           <th>Optional?</th>
           <th>Description</th>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.plugin.test.dir</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            The directory that contains the project descriptor for
+            running the plugin tests. This should be relative to
+            <code>${basedir}</code>.
+            Default is <code>src/plugin-test</code>.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>maven.docs.src</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
