Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojo.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojo.java	(revision 479528)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.ResourceBundle;
+
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.handler.ArtifactHandler;
 import org.apache.maven.model.ReportPlugin;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
@@ -25,11 +30,6 @@
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.PathTool;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 
-import java.io.File;
-import java.util.Iterator;
-import java.util.Locale;
-import java.util.ResourceBundle;
-
 
 /**
  * Creates a nicely formatted Surefire Test Report in html format.
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
      *
      * @parameter expression="${project.reporting.outputDirectory}"
      */
-    private String outputDirectory;
+    private File outputDirectory;
 
     /**
      * Doxia Site Renderer
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
 
         if ( linkXRef )
         {
-            String relativePath = PathTool.getRelativePath( outputDirectory, xrefLocation.getAbsolutePath() );
+            String relativePath = PathTool.getRelativePath( getOutputDirectory(), xrefLocation.getAbsolutePath() );
             if ( StringUtils.isEmpty( relativePath ) )
             {
                 relativePath = ".";
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@
 
     protected String getOutputDirectory()
     {
-        return outputDirectory;
+        return outputDirectory.getAbsolutePath();
     }
 
     private ResourceBundle getBundle( Locale locale )
Index: src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojoTest.java
===================================================================
--- src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojoTest.java	(revision 479528)
+++ src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/surefire/report/SurefireReportMojoTest.java	(working copy)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 
         assertNotNull( mojo );
 
-        String outputDir = ( String ) getVariableValueFromObject( mojo, "outputDirectory" );
+        File outputDir = ( File ) getVariableValueFromObject( mojo, "outputDirectory" );
 
         boolean showSuccess = ( ( Boolean ) getVariableValueFromObject( mojo, "showSuccess" ) ).booleanValue();
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 
         boolean linkXRef = ( ( Boolean ) getVariableValueFromObject( mojo, "linkXRef" ) ).booleanValue();
 
-        assertEquals( getBasedir() + "/target/site/unit/basic-surefire-report-test", outputDir );
+        assertEquals( new File(getBasedir() + "/target/site/unit/basic-surefire-report-test"), outputDir );
 
         assertTrue( showSuccess );