Index: PrepareReleaseMojo.java
===================================================================
--- PrepareReleaseMojo.java	(revision 643444)
+++ PrepareReleaseMojo.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
+import java.io.File;
+
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoFailureException;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.ReleaseExecutionException;
@@ -117,6 +119,12 @@
      */
     private boolean allowTimestampedSnapshots;
     
+    /**
+     * Work around for relative parent projects. Allows tagging at the relative parent's parent directory level.
+     * @parameter expression="${tagWorkingDirectory}"
+     */
+    private String tagWorkingDirectory;
+    
     public void execute()
         throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException
     {
@@ -131,6 +139,13 @@
         config.setUpdateDependencies( updateDependencies );
         config.setAutoVersionSubmodules( autoVersionSubmodules );
         config.setAllowTimestampedSnapshots( allowTimestampedSnapshots );
+        if(tagWorkingDirectory != null){
+        	File dir = new File(tagWorkingDirectory);
+        	if(dir.exists() && dir.isDirectory()){
+        		super.getLog().info("Configuring working directory to be "+dir.getAbsolutePath());
+        		config.setWorkingDirectory(dir.getAbsolutePath());
+        	}
+        }
         try
         {
             releaseManager.prepare( config, settings, reactorProjects, resume, dryRun );