diff --git a/deploy/plugin.jelly b/deploy/plugin.jelly
index 792eb15e..b56991b7 100644
--- a/deploy/plugin.jelly
+++ b/deploy/plugin.jelly
@@ -106,13 +106,12 @@
       <j:set var="assureDirectoryCommandX" value="${assureDirectoryCommand}X"/>
       <j:if test="${assureDirectoryCommandX != 'X'}">
         <ant:exec dir="." executable="${commander}">
-          <ant:arg line="-l ${username} ${siteAddress} '${assureDirectoryCommand} ${resolvedDirectory}'"/>
+          <ant:arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${username} ${siteAddress} '${assureDirectoryCommand} ${resolvedDirectory}'"/>
         </ant:exec>
       </j:if>
       
       <ant:exec dir="." executable="${copier}">
-        <ant:arg value="${artifact}"/>
-        <ant:arg value="${username}@${siteAddress}:${resolvedDirectory}"/>
+        <ant:arg line="${maven.scp.args} ${artifact} ${username}@${siteAddress}:${resolvedDirectory}"/>
       </ant:exec>
     
       <!--
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@
         </ant:echo>
         
         <ant:exec dir="." executable="${commander}">
-          <ant:arg line="-l ${username} ${siteAddress} '${siteCommand}'"/>
+          <ant:arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${username} ${siteAddress} '${siteCommand}'"/>
         </ant:exec>
 
       </j:if>
diff --git a/deploy/xdocs/changes.xml b/deploy/xdocs/changes.xml
index ddede179..b8331d7c 100644
--- a/deploy/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/deploy/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
   <body>
 
     <release version="1.3" date="in CVS">
+      <action dev="evenisse" type="add" issue=""MPDEPLOY-2">
+        Add optional maven.ssh.args and maven.scp.args.
+      </action>
     </release>
 
     <release version="1.2" date="2003-11-22">
diff --git a/deploy/xdocs/properties.xml b/deploy/xdocs/properties.xml
index 4f4dfd6a..7ea39278 100644
--- a/deploy/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/deploy/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@
             named <code>scp</code> must be in your path).
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.scp.args</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            Specifies optional parameters that are passed to the scp executable.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
         <tr>
           <td>maven.ssh.executable</td>
           <td>Yes</td>
@@ -47,6 +54,13 @@
             named <code>ssh</code> must be in your path).
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.ssh.args</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            Specifies optional parameters that are passed to the ssh executable.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
       </table>
     </section>
   </body>