diff --git a/scm/plugin.jelly b/scm/plugin.jelly
index 9b5e404d..068cc139 100644
--- a/scm/plugin.jelly
+++ b/scm/plugin.jelly
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 <project
   xmlns:j="jelly:core"
   xmlns:i="jelly:interaction"
+  xmlns:r="release:transform"
+  xmlns:c="changes:transform"
   xmlns:log="jelly:log"
   xmlns:ant="jelly:ant"
   xmlns:doc="doc"
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <!-- Goal to validate SCM properties                                  -->
   <!--==================================================================-->
-  <goal name="scm:validate">
+  <goal name="scm:parse-connection">
     <j:set var="value" value="${maven.scm.ignore.pom.connection}"/>
     <j:if test="${!value}">
       <j:set var="value" value="${pom.repository.connection}"/>
@@ -32,14 +34,24 @@
         <j:set var="scmMethod" value="${maven.scm.method}"/>
         <log:info>Using SCM method: ${scmMethod}</log:info>
         <j:if test="${scmMethod == 'cvs'}">
-          <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.root" value=":${tokens[2]}:${tokens[3]}:${tokens[4]}"/>
-          <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.module" value="${tokens[5]}"/>
+          <j:choose>
+            <j:when test="${tokens[2] == 'local'}">
+              <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.root" value=":${tokens[2]}:${tokens[3]}"/>
+              <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.module" value="${tokens[4]}"/>
+            </j:when>
+            <j:otherwise>
+              <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.root" value=":${tokens[2]}:${tokens[3]}:${tokens[4]}"/>
+              <j:set var="maven.scm.cvs.module" value="${tokens[5]}"/>
+            </j:otherwise>
+          </j:choose>
           <log:info>Using CVSROOT: ${maven.scm.cvs.root}</log:info>
           <log:info>Using module: ${maven.scm.cvs.module}</log:info>
         </j:if>
       </j:if>
     </j:if>
+  </goal>
 
+  <goal name="scm:validate" prereqs="scm:parse-connection">
     <j:choose>
       <j:when test="${scmMethod == 'cvs'}">
         <j:set var="cvsModule" value="${maven.scm.cvs.module}"/>
@@ -104,7 +116,7 @@
   <!--   TODO: we should be able to select what to deploy and so on,    -->
   <!--         tie in with multiproject-by-groupId idea                 -->
   <!--==================================================================-->
-  <goal name="scm:perform-release"
+  <goal name="scm:perform-release" prereqs="scm:parse-connection"
     description="Perform a release from SCM">
     <!-- Setup variables -->
     <j:choose>
@@ -130,10 +142,7 @@
     <j:if test="${empty(goals)}">
       <i:ask question="What goals are you using to build?" answer="maven.scm.bootstrap.goals" default="multiproject:deploy" />  
     </j:if>
-    <!-- TODO: too slow pre-rc1!
-    <attainGoal name="scm:bootstrap-project" />
-    -->
-    <attainGoal name="scm:checkout-project" />
+
     <!-- TODO: check tagged syntax ok with other SCM than CVS, including in docs -->
     <j:set var="checkTagged" value="${maven.scm.check.tagged}"/>
     <j:if test="${checkTagged}">
@@ -151,9 +160,7 @@
           <ant:fail>Cancelled by response '${ok}'</ant:fail>
         </j:if> 
       </j:if>
-      <ant:exec dir="${maven.scm.checkout.dir}/${maven.scm.cvs.module}" executable="maven" failonerror="true">
-        <ant:arg line="${maven.scm.bootstrap.goals}"/>
-      </ant:exec>
+      <attainGoal name="scm:bootstrap-project" />
     </j:if>
   </goal>
   
@@ -201,35 +208,53 @@
   
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <!-- Prepare Release - CVS                                            -->
-  <!--  TODO: this should be amalgamated with release plugin            -->
   <!--==================================================================-->
   <goal name="scm:cvs-prepare-release">
     <log:info>Verifying no modifications are present</log:info>
+    <j:set var="changesFilename" value="${maven.docs.src}/changes.xml" />
+    <util:file var="file" name="${changesFilename}"/>
+    <j:set var="changesExists" value="${file.exists()}" />
     <!-- Need to move POM out of the way as mods there are allowed -->
-    <ant:copy file="project.xml" tofile="temp_project.xml" />
-    <ant:cvs command="update -C project.xml" 
-      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
-      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
-      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
-      failonerror="true"
+    <ant:move file="project.xml" tofile="project.xml.SCM.temp" />
+    <j:set var="documents" value="project.xml" />
+    <j:if test="${changesExists}">
+      <maven:makeRelativePath basedir="${basedir}" path="${changesFilename}" var="changesFilename" />
+      <util:replace var="changesFilename" value="${changesFilename}" oldChar="\\" newChar="/" />
+      <j:set var="documents" value="${documents} ${changesFilename}" />
+      <ant:move file="${changesFilename}" tofile="${changesFilename}.SCM.temp" />
+    </j:if>
+    <j:catch var="exception">
+      <ant:cvs command="update ${documents}"
+        quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
+        cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
+        cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
+        failonerror="true"
       />
-    <ant:cvs command="tag -c dummy_tag"
-      noexec="true"
-      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
-      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
-      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
-      failonerror="true"
+      <ant:cvs command="tag -c dummy_tag"
+        noexec="true"
+        quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
+        cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
+        cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
+        failonerror="true"
       />
+    </j:catch>
+    <ant:move file="project.xml.SCM.temp" tofile="project.xml" />
+    <j:if test="${changesExists}">
+      <ant:move file="${changesFilename}.SCM.temp" tofile="${changesFilename}" />
+    </j:if>
+    <j:if test="${exception != null}">
+      <ant:fail>${exception}</ant:fail>
+    </j:if>
     <i:ask
       question="What is the new tag name?"
       answer="tag_name"
       default="${tag_name}"
-      />
+    />
     <i:ask
       question="What is the new version?"
       answer="version_name"
       default="${tag_name}"
-      />
+    />
     <log:info>Verifying valid tag name</log:info>
     <ant:cvs command="tag ${tag_name} project.xml"
       noexec="true"
@@ -237,35 +262,27 @@
       cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
       cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
       failonerror="true"
-      />
-    <ant:move file="temp_project.xml" tofile="project.xml" />
-    <log:info>Modifying POM with tag = ${tag_name}; version = ${version_name}</log:info>
-    <attainGoal name="scm:update-pom" />
-    <log:info>Committing new POM</log:info>
-    <ant:cvs command="commit -m '[maven-scm] prepare a release' project.xml"
-      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
-      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
-      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
-      failonerror="true"
-      />
-    <log:info>Tagging source tree</log:info>
-    <ant:cvs command="tag ${tag_name}"
-      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
-      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
-      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
-      failonerror="true"
-      />
-  </goal>
+    />
 
-  <goal name="scm:update-pom">
-    <doc:jslFile
-      input="${basedir}/project.xml"
-      output="${basedir}/project.xml"
-      stylesheet="${plugin.resources}/pom-release.jsl"
-      outputMode="xml"
-      omitXmlDeclaration="false"
-      prettyPrint="false"
-      />
+    <r:release-version version="${version_name}" tag="${tag_name}" />
+    <j:if test="${changesExists}">
+      <c:release-version version="${version_name}" />
+    </j:if>
+    <log:info>Committing new POM</log:info>
+    <ant:cvs command="commit -m '[maven-scm-plugin] prepare release ${version_name}' ${documents}"
+      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
+      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
+      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
+      failonerror="true"
+    />
+
+    <log:info>Tagging source tree</log:info>
+    <ant:cvs command="tag -F ${tag_name}"
+      quiet="${maven.scm.cvs.quiet}"
+      cvsRsh="${maven.scm.cvs.rsh}"
+      cvsRoot="${maven.scm.cvs.root}"
+      failonerror="true"
+    />
   </goal>
 </project>
 
diff --git a/scm/plugin.properties b/scm/plugin.properties
index 71bbdb29..823a71ac 100644
--- a/scm/plugin.properties
+++ b/scm/plugin.properties
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Available settings currently only CVS
 maven.scm.method=
 # Directory to checkout to
-maven.scm.checkout.dir=${basedir}/checkouts
+maven.scm.checkout.dir=${maven.build.dir}/checkouts
 # Set to true if you want to ignore the connection parameter in the POM
 maven.scm.ignore.pom.connection=false
 
diff --git a/scm/project.xml b/scm/project.xml
index a93b8b4c..79facf17 100644
--- a/scm/project.xml
+++ b/scm/project.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   <name>Maven Source Control Management Plug-in</name>
   <currentVersion>1.2-SNAPSHOT</currentVersion>
   <description>A plugin for SCM tasks, currently CVS.</description>
-  <shortDescription>SCM Plugin for Maven</shortDescription>
+  <shortDescription>SCM Plugin for Maven. Requires Maven 1.0 RC2.</shortDescription>
   <url>http://maven.apache.org/reference/plugins/scm/</url>
   <siteDirectory>/www/maven.apache.org/reference/plugins/scm/</siteDirectory>
   <repository>
@@ -50,3 +50,4 @@
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
 </project>
+
diff --git a/scm/xdocs/changes.xml b/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
index 85186f1d..fcafe0bf 100644
--- a/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/scm/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -6,6 +6,24 @@
   </properties>
 
   <body>
+    <release version="1.2-SNAPSHOT" date="in CVS">
+      <action dev="brett" type="fix">
+        Don't use -C - Mac OS X doesn't recognise it
+      </action>
+      <action dev="brett" type="fix" issue="MPSCM-3">
+        Catch exceptions to make sure files don't get moved permanently.
+      </action>
+      <action dev="brett" type="fix" issue="MPSCM-4">
+        Update POM using dom4j instead of JSL - no more formatting issues.
+      </action>
+      <action dev="brett" type="fix">
+        Support :local: CVS paths
+      </action>
+      <action dev="brett" type="add">
+        Update changes.xml version and release date on prepare.
+      </action>
+    </release>
+
     <release version="1.1" date="2003-09-29">
       <action dev="dion" type="update">
         Apply MAVEN-834. Support for scm delimiters other than ':'