diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/common/PropertyNames.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/common/PropertyNames.java
index a0bbd4f5..f5413ca2 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/common/PropertyNames.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/common/PropertyNames.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ public interface PropertyNames {
 
     String BATCH = "wildfly.batch";
 
+    String CHANNELS = "wildfly.channels";
+
     String CHECK_PACKAGING = "wildfly.checkPackaging";
 
     String COMMANDS = "wildfly.commands";
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/dev/DevMojo.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/dev/DevMojo.java
index b9325ca6..d5952bd4 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/dev/DevMojo.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/dev/DevMojo.java
@@ -347,8 +347,39 @@ public class DevMojo extends AbstractServerStartMojo {
 
     /**
      * A list of channels used for resolving artifacts while provisioning.
+     * <p>
+     * Defining a channel:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * &lt;channels&gt;
+     *     &lt;channel&gt;
+     *         &lt;manifest&gt;
+     *             &lt;groupId&gt;org.wildfly.channels&lt;/groupId&gt;
+     *             &lt;artifactId&gt;wildfly-30.0&lt;/artifactId&gt;
+     *         &lt;/manifest&gt;
+     *     &lt;/channel&gt;
+     *     &lt;channel&gt;
+     *         &lt;manifest&gt;
+     *             &lt;url&gt;https://example.example.org/channel/30&lt;/url&gt;
+     *         &lt;/manifest&gt;
+     *     &lt;/channel&gt;
+     * &lt;/channels&gt;
+     * </pre>
+     * </p>
+     * <p>
+     * The {@code wildfly.channels} property can be used pass a comma delimited string for the channels. The channel
+     * can be a URL or a Maven GAV. If a Maven GAV is used, the groupId and artifactId are required.
+     * <br>
+     * Examples:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30&quot;
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30,org.example.channel:updates-30&quot;
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30,org.example.channel:updates-30:1.0.2&quot;
+     * </pre>
+     * </p>
      */
-    @Parameter(alias = "channels")
+    @Parameter(property = PropertyNames.CHANNELS)
     private List<ChannelConfiguration> channels;
 
     /**
@@ -479,7 +510,7 @@ public String goal() {
 
     @Override
     protected MavenRepoManager createMavenRepoManager() throws MojoExecutionException {
-        if (channels == null) {
+        if (channels == null || channels.isEmpty()) {
             return offlineProvisioning ? new MavenArtifactRepositoryManager(repoSystem, session)
                     : new MavenArtifactRepositoryManager(repoSystem, session, repositories);
         } else {
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/AbstractProvisionServerMojo.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/AbstractProvisionServerMojo.java
index f170e1b9..79a7bf2b 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/AbstractProvisionServerMojo.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/AbstractProvisionServerMojo.java
@@ -184,7 +184,41 @@ abstract class AbstractProvisionServerMojo extends AbstractMojo {
     @Parameter(alias = "layers-configuration-file-name", property = PropertyNames.WILDFLY_LAYERS_CONFIGURATION_FILE_NAME, defaultValue = STANDALONE_XML)
     String layersConfigurationFileName;
 
-    @Parameter(alias = "channels", required = false)
+    /**
+     * A list of channels used for resolving artifacts while provisioning.
+     * <p>
+     * Defining a channel:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * <channels>
+     *     <channel>
+     *         <manifest>
+     *             <groupId>org.wildfly.channels</groupId>
+     *             <artifactId>wildfly-30.0</artifactId>
+     *         </manifest>
+     *     </channel>
+     *     <channel>
+     *         <manifest>
+     *             <url>https://example.example.org/channel/30</url>
+     *         </manifest>
+     *     </channel>
+     * </channels>
+     * </pre>
+     * </p>
+     * <p>
+     * The {@code wildfly.channels} property can be used pass a comma delimited string for the channels. The channel
+     * can be a URL or a Maven GAV. If a Maven GAV is used, the groupId and artifactId are required.
+     * <br>
+     * Examples:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30&quot;
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30,org.example.channel:updates-30&quot;
+     *     -Dwildfly.channels=&quot;https://channels.example.org/30,org.example.channel:updates-30:1.0.2&quot;
+     * </pre>
+     * </p>
+     */
+    @Parameter(alias = "channels", property = PropertyNames.CHANNELS)
     List<ChannelConfiguration> channels;
 
     /**
@@ -217,7 +251,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
             return;
         }
         enrichRepositories();
-        if (channels == null) {
+        if (channels == null || channels.isEmpty()) {
             artifactResolver = offlineProvisioning ? new MavenArtifactRepositoryManager(repoSystem, repoSession)
                     : new MavenArtifactRepositoryManager(repoSystem, repoSession, repositories);
         } else {
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/ChannelConfiguration.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/ChannelConfiguration.java
index 3aeebefd..d543e304 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/ChannelConfiguration.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/wildfly/plugin/provision/ChannelConfiguration.java
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@
  */
 package org.wildfly.plugin.provision;
 
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;
 import org.eclipse.aether.repository.RemoteRepository;
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@
  * @author jdenise
  */
 public class ChannelConfiguration {
+    private static final Pattern FILE_MATCHER = Pattern.compile("^(file|http|https)://.*");
 
     private ChannelManifestCoordinate manifest;
 
@@ -42,6 +46,28 @@ public ChannelManifestCoordinate getManifest() {
         return manifest;
     }
 
+    public void set(final String channel) {
+        // Is this a URL?
+        if (FILE_MATCHER.matcher(channel).matches()) {
+            try {
+                this.manifest = new ChannelManifestCoordinate(new URL(channel));
+            } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Failed to parse URL for " + channel, e);
+            }
+        } else {
+            // Treat as a Maven GAV
+            final String[] coords = channel.split(":");
+            if (coords.length > 2) {
+                this.manifest = new ChannelManifestCoordinate(coords[0], coords[1], coords[2]);
+            } else if (coords.length == 2) {
+                this.manifest = new ChannelManifestCoordinate(coords[0], coords[1]);
+            } else {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "A channel must be a Maven GAV in the format groupId:artifactId:version. The groupId and artifactId are both required.");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     void setManifest(ChannelManifestCoordinate manifest) {
         this.manifest = manifest;
     }