diff --git a/javadoc/plugin.jelly b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
index 8558d896..d7a71a15 100644
--- a/javadoc/plugin.jelly
+++ b/javadoc/plugin.jelly
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   <goal name="javadoc" prereqs="maven-javadoc-plugin:report"/>
 
   <goal name="maven-javadoc-plugin:report"
+        prereqs="xdoc:init"
         description="Generate API documentation">
 
     <j:if test="${sourcesPresent == 'true'}">
diff --git a/xdoc/plugin.jelly b/xdoc/plugin.jelly
index 167f368c..3e880296 100644
--- a/xdoc/plugin.jelly
+++ b/xdoc/plugin.jelly
@@ -195,8 +195,17 @@
     prereqs="xdoc:generate-from-pom, xdoc:transform"
     description="Generate html project documentation xdoc sources"/>
 
+  <goal name="xdoc:init"
+    description="Generates the directory structure required for xdocs">
+
+    <mkdir dir="${maven.gen.docs}"/>
+    <mkdir dir="${maven.docs.dest}"/>
+
+  </goal>
+
   <goal
     name="xdoc:generate-from-pom"
+    prereqs="xdoc:init"
     description="Generates xdocs for site based on project descriptor">
     
     <echo>Generating xdocs from POM ... </echo>
@@ -210,8 +219,6 @@
     <j:useBean var="escape" class="org.apache.velocity.anakia.Escape"/>
     <j:useBean var="files" class="org.apache.velocity.texen.util.FileUtil"/>
     
-    <mkdir dir="${maven.gen.docs}"/>
-    
     <j:forEach var="pomDocument" items="${pomDocuments}">
     
       <velocity:merge 
@@ -231,6 +238,7 @@
   <!-- validate xdocs -->
   <goal name="xdoc:validate" prereqs="pom:taglib"
     description="Validate xdocs match the schema">
+
     <available file="${maven.docs.src}" type="dir"
       property="maven.docs.src.available"/>
 
@@ -257,6 +265,7 @@
 
   <!-- copy resources needed for xdocs -->
   <goal name="xdoc:copy-resources"
+    prereqs="xdoc:init"
     description="copy static resources for use in xdocs generated html">
     
     <!-- Read in the ui properties. -->
@@ -307,7 +316,9 @@
 
   <!-- copy user resources -->
   <goal name="xdoc:copy-user-resources"
+    prereqs="xdoc:init"
     description="Copy user provided resources to docs destination">
+
     <j:if test="${maven.docs.src.available}">
 
       <available file="${maven.docs.src}/images" type="dir"
@@ -355,14 +366,13 @@
   <!-- ================================================================== -->
   
   <goal name="xdoc:transform"
+    prereqs="xdoc:init"
     description="Generate html project documentation xdoc sources">
 
     <tstamp>
       <format property="mavenCurrentYear" pattern="yyyy"/>
     </tstamp>
 
-    <mkdir dir="${maven.docs.dest}"/>
-
     <!-- Use jelly utils here -->
 
     <available
@@ -399,7 +409,8 @@
     </tstamp>
   </goal>
 
-  <goal name="xdoc:jelly-transform" prereqs="xdoc:jelly-init"
+  <goal name="xdoc:jelly-transform" 
+    prereqs="xdoc:init, xdoc:jelly-init"
     description="transform xdocs using jelly/jsl rather than dvsl">
 
     <j:set var="destdir" value="${maven.docs.dest}"/>