diff --git a/checkstyle/plugin.jelly b/checkstyle/plugin.jelly
index 965fac6b..4e5dc026 100644
--- a/checkstyle/plugin.jelly
+++ b/checkstyle/plugin.jelly
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@
 
     <j:if test="${sourcesPresent == 'true'}">
 
+      <j:set var="header" value="${maven.checkstyle.header.file}"/>
+      <j:if test="${header == '' or header == null}">
+        <maven:get var="maven.checkstyle.header.file" plugin="maven-license-plugin" property="maven.license.licenseFile"/>
+      </j:if>
       <util:file var="headerFile" name="${maven.checkstyle.header.file}"/>
       <j:if test="${!headerFile.exists()}">
         <ant:echo>
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@
       =================================================================
       =  Your project doesn't contain a header file specified as:     =
       =  ${maven.checkstyle.header.file}
+      =  (specified by the maven.checkstyle.header.file property)     =
       =  Checkstyle needs it to check the existence of the License in =
       =  your source files. If it can't find this file, it throws an  =
       =  error.                                                       =
diff --git a/checkstyle/plugin.properties b/checkstyle/plugin.properties
index 16289745..9adb38a1 100644
--- a/checkstyle/plugin.properties
+++ b/checkstyle/plugin.properties
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ maven.checkstyle.excludes =
 maven.checkstyle.fail.on.violation = false
 maven.checkstyle.cache.file = ${maven.checkstyle.dir}/checkstyle-cachefile
 maven.checkstyle.format = sun
-maven.checkstyle.header.file = ${maven.license.licenseFile}
+# this set to ${maven.license.licenseFile} in plugin.jelly:
+# maven.checkstyle.header.file =
 maven.checkstyle.check.tests=true
 
 # If useFile is false then the checkstyle task will display violations