Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForReleasePhase.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForReleasePhase.java	(revision 644813)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForReleasePhase.java	(working copy)
@@ -123,8 +123,14 @@
                     }
                     scmConnectionTag = this.translateUrlPath( trunkUrl, tagBase, scm.getConnection() );
                 }
+                
+                //MRELEASE-128
+                String connection = ( scmRoot.getChildText("connection", namespace) != null )
+												? scmRoot.getChildText("connection", namespace)
+												: scm.getConnection();
+
                 String value =
-                    translator.translateTagUrl( scm.getConnection(), tag + subDirectoryTag, scmConnectionTag );
+                    translator.translateTagUrl( connection, tag + subDirectoryTag, scmConnectionTag );
 
                 if ( !value.equals( scm.getConnection() ) )
                 {
@@ -141,8 +147,13 @@
                     subDirectoryTag =
                         scm.getDeveloperConnection().substring( getLengthOfRootScmConnectionUrl( rootScm.getDeveloperConnection() ) );
                 }
+
+                //MRELEASE-128
+                String developerConnection = ( scmRoot.getChildText("developerConnection", namespace) != null )
+                								? scmRoot.getChildText("developerConnection", namespace)
+                								: scm.getDeveloperConnection();
                 String value =
-                    translator.translateTagUrl( scm.getDeveloperConnection(), tag + subDirectoryTag, tagBase );
+                    translator.translateTagUrl( developerConnection, tag + subDirectoryTag, tagBase );
 
                 if ( !value.equals( scm.getDeveloperConnection() ) )
                 {
Index: src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForDevelopmentPhase.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForDevelopmentPhase.java	(revision 644813)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RewritePomsForDevelopmentPhase.java	(working copy)
@@ -71,8 +71,16 @@
 
                     if ( scm != null )
                     {
-                        rewriteElement( "connection", scm.getConnection(), scmRoot, namespace );
-                        rewriteElement( "developerConnection", scm.getDeveloperConnection(), scmRoot, namespace );
+                    	//MRELEASE-128
+                        String connection = ( scmRoot.getChildText("connection", namespace) != null )
+														? scmRoot.getChildText("connection", namespace)
+														: scm.getConnection();
+						String developerConnection = ( scmRoot.getChildText("developerConnection", namespace) != null )
+														? scmRoot.getChildText("developerConnection", namespace)
+														: scm.getDeveloperConnection();
+						
+                        rewriteElement( "connection", connection, scmRoot, namespace );
+                        rewriteElement( "developerConnection", developerConnection, scmRoot, namespace );
                         rewriteElement( "url", scm.getUrl(), scmRoot, namespace );
                         rewriteElement( "tag", translator.resolveTag( scm.getTag() ), scmRoot, namespace );
                     }