diff --git a/site/plugin.jelly b/site/plugin.jelly
index 937ab8bf..c032aec1 100644
--- a/site/plugin.jelly
+++ b/site/plugin.jelly
@@ -287,11 +287,11 @@
         <j:if test="${publishClean}">
           <echo>Cleaning destination first</echo>
           <exec dir="." executable="${maven.ssh.executable}">
-            <arg line="${siteUsername}@${siteAddress} 'rm -r ${destSiteDirectory}'" />
+            <arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${siteUsername} ${siteAddress} 'rm -r ${destSiteDirectory}'" />
           </exec>
         </j:if>
         <exec dir="." executable="${maven.ssh.executable}">
-          <arg line="${siteUsername}@${siteAddress} 'mkdir -p ${destSiteDirectory}; cp -r ${siteDirectory}/* ${destSiteDirectory}'" />
+          <arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${siteUsername} ${siteAddress} 'mkdir -p ${destSiteDirectory} &amp;&amp; cp -r ${siteDirectory}/* ${destSiteDirectory}'" />
         </exec>
       </j:when>
       <j:otherwise>
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@
           <j:set var="rsyncArgs" value="${rsyncArgs} --delete" />
         </j:if>
         <exec dir="." executable="${maven.ssh.executable}">
-          <arg line="${siteUsername}@${siteAddress} '${maven.rsync.executable} ${rsyncArgs} -az ${siteDirectory}/* ${destSiteUsername}@${destSiteAddress}:${destSiteDirectory}'" />
+          <arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${siteUsername} ${siteAddress}  '${maven.rsync.executable} ${rsyncArgs} -az ${siteDirectory}/* ${destSiteUsername}@${destSiteAddress}:${destSiteDirectory}'" />
         </exec>
       </j:otherwise>
     </j:choose> 
diff --git a/site/xdocs/changes.xml b/site/xdocs/changes.xml
index 924b0c85..c2b0fccb 100644
--- a/site/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/site/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
   </properties>
   <body>
     <release version="1.6.2-SNAPSHOT" date="In SVN">
+      <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPSITE-40">Missing <code>maven.ssh.args</code> in <code>site:publish</code>.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="add" issue="MPSITE-31">Make <code>chmod</code> options in <code>site:sshdeploy</code> configurable.</action>
       <action dev="ltheussl" type="fix" issue="MPSITE-24" due-to="Julian Dunn">SSH arguments not used in <code>sshdeploy</code> with 'clean'.</action>
       <action dev="aheritier" type="fix" issue="MPSITE-28" due-to="Davy Toch">Deploying the site documentation through SSH always results in 'Build Successful'.</action>
