diff --git a/site/plugin.jelly b/site/plugin.jelly
index 24d3eab7..63ab9ffe 100644
--- a/site/plugin.jelly
+++ b/site/plugin.jelly
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
     </exec>
 
     <exec dir="." executable="${maven.ssh.executable}">
-      <arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${maven.username} ${pom.siteAddress} 'cd ${maven.homepage};${maven.site.gunzip.executable} ${maven.final.name}-site.tar.gz;${maven.site.tar.executable} xUvf ${maven.final.name}-site.tar;chmod -R g+u * .;rm ${maven.final.name}-site.tar'"/>
+      <arg line="${maven.ssh.args} -l ${maven.username} ${pom.siteAddress} 'cd ${maven.homepage};${maven.site.gunzip.executable} ${maven.final.name}-site.tar.gz;${maven.site.tar.executable} ${maven.site.tar.options} ${maven.final.name}-site.tar;chmod -R g+u * .;rm ${maven.final.name}-site.tar'"/>
     </exec>
 
     <delete file="${maven.build.dir}/${maven.final.name}-site.tar.gz"/>
diff --git a/site/plugin.properties b/site/plugin.properties
index db8fff5a..23e7a6c9 100644
--- a/site/plugin.properties
+++ b/site/plugin.properties
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 maven.site.deploy.method=ssh
 
 maven.site.tar.executable=tar
+maven.site.tar.options=xUvf
 maven.site.gunzip.executable=gunzip
 
 maven.username=USERNAME_NOT_SET
diff --git a/site/project.xml b/site/project.xml
index 97d2c042..8ea6269c 100644
--- a/site/project.xml
+++ b/site/project.xml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   <pomVersion>3</pomVersion>
   <id>maven-site-plugin</id>
   <name>Maven Site Plugin</name>
-  <currentVersion>1.5.1</currentVersion>
+  <currentVersion>1.5.2-SNAPSHOT</currentVersion>
   <description>Generate web site. Requires Maven 1.0 RC2.</description>
   <shortDescription>Generate web site</shortDescription>
   <url>http://maven.apache.org/reference/plugins/site/</url>
diff --git a/site/xdocs/changes.xml b/site/xdocs/changes.xml
index b9c1ba84..0774dba4 100644
--- a/site/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/site/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
     <author email="dion@multitask.com.au">dIon Gillard</author>
   </properties>
   <body>
+    <release version="1.5.2-SNAPSHOT" date="in CVS">
+      <action dev="dion" type="update" issue="MPSITE-15" due-to="M. Sean Gilligan">Allow tar options as a property</action>
+    </release>
     <release version="1.5.1" date="2004-07-10">
       <action dev="brett" type="update">Update commons-httpclient and commons-net</action>
     </release>
diff --git a/site/xdocs/properties.xml b/site/xdocs/properties.xml
index 8af221e5..5223bb77 100644
--- a/site/xdocs/properties.xml
+++ b/site/xdocs/properties.xml
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@
             system has a default version of tar that is failing.
           </td>
         </tr>
+        <tr>
+          <td>maven.site.tar.options</td>
+          <td>Yes</td>
+          <td>
+            Specifies the options to use for 'tar' when deploying the site. 
+            Defaults to <code>xUvf</code>. Override this property if your
+            system has a version of tar that is failing, e.g. it doesn't support the
+            <code>U</code> option.
+          </td>
+        </tr>
         
         <tr>
           <td>maven.site.gunzip.executable</td>
