diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/build/HgChangeSetMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/build/HgChangeSetMojo.java
index 2a65954..2a4c0ae 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/build/HgChangeSetMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/build/HgChangeSetMojo.java
@@ -69,6 +69,16 @@ public class HgChangeSetMojo
     @Parameter( property = "maven.changeSet.scmDirectory", defaultValue = "${basedir}" )
     private File scmDirectory;
 
+
+    /**
+     * Forces to use last logged changeset/changesetDate from scmDirectory and not current repository
+     * changeset/changesetDate.
+     *
+     * @since 1.5
+     */
+    @Parameter( property = "maven.buildNumber.useLastChangeSetInDirectory", defaultValue = "false" )
+    private Boolean useLastChangeSetInDirectory;
+
     private void checkResult( ScmResult result )
         throws MojoExecutionException
     {
@@ -96,7 +106,7 @@ public void execute()
         {
             String previousChangeSet = getChangeSetProperty();
             String previousChangeSetDate = getChangeSetDateProperty();
-            if ( previousChangeSet == null || previousChangeSetDate == null )
+            if ( previousChangeSet == null || previousChangeSetDate == null)
             {
                 String changeSet = getChangeSet();
                 String changeSetDate = getChangeSetDate();
@@ -112,24 +122,29 @@ public void execute()
         }
     }
 
-    protected String getChangeSet()
-        throws ScmException, MojoExecutionException
+    protected String getHgCommandOutput(String[] command)
+            throws ScmException, MojoExecutionException
     {
         HgOutputConsumer consumer = new HgOutputConsumer( logger );
-        ScmResult result = HgUtils.execute( consumer, logger, scmDirectory, new String[] { "id", "-i" } );
+        ScmResult result = HgUtils.execute( consumer, logger, scmDirectory, command );
         checkResult( result );
         return consumer.getOutput();
     }
 
+    protected String getChangeSet()
+            throws ScmException, MojoExecutionException
+    {
+        return getHgCommandOutput(useLastChangeSetInDirectory
+                ? new String[] { "log", "-l1", "--template", "\"{node|short}\"", "." }
+                : new String[] { "id", "-i" });
+    }
+
     protected String getChangeSetDate()
-        throws ScmException, MojoExecutionException
+            throws ScmException, MojoExecutionException
     {
-        HgOutputConsumer consumer = new HgOutputConsumer( logger );
-        ScmResult result =
-            HgUtils.execute( consumer, logger, scmDirectory, new String[] { "log", "-r", ".", "--template",
-                "\"{date|isodate}\"" } );
-        checkResult( result );
-        return consumer.getOutput();
+        return getHgCommandOutput(useLastChangeSetInDirectory
+                ? new String[] { "log", "-l1", "--template", "\"{date|isodate}\"", "." }
+                : new String[] { "log", "-r", ".", "--template", "\"{date|isodate}\"" } );
     }
 
     protected String getChangeSetDateProperty()