diff --git a/jaxws-ri/extras/jaxws-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/jvnet/jax_ws_commons/jaxws/AbstractJaxwsMojo.java b/jaxws-ri/extras/jaxws-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/jvnet/jax_ws_commons/jaxws/AbstractJaxwsMojo.java
index fec95efd..dc90071d 100644
--- a/jaxws-ri/extras/jaxws-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/jvnet/jax_ws_commons/jaxws/AbstractJaxwsMojo.java
+++ b/jaxws-ri/extras/jaxws-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/jvnet/jax_ws_commons/jaxws/AbstractJaxwsMojo.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.versioning.OverConstrainedVersionException;
+import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenSession;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Dependency;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Plugin;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.AbstractMojo;
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.Parameter;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
+import org.apache.maven.toolchain.Toolchain;
+import org.apache.maven.toolchain.ToolchainManager;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.Os;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.cli.CommandLineException;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.cli.CommandLineUtils;
@@ -131,6 +134,15 @@ abstract class AbstractJaxwsMojo extends AbstractMojo {
     @Parameter
     private File executable;
 
+    @Component
+    private ToolchainManager toolchainManager;
+    
+    @Parameter(defaultValue = "false")
+    private boolean useJdkToolchainExecutable;
+    
+    @Parameter(defaultValue = "${session}", readonly = true, required = true)
+    protected MavenSession session;
+
     /**
      * The entry point to Aether, i.e. the component doing all the work.
      *
@@ -340,7 +352,7 @@ protected void exec(List<String> args) throws MojoExecutionException {
                     throw new MojoExecutionException("Cannot execute: " + executable.getAbsolutePath());
                 }
             } else {
-                cmd.setExecutable(new File(new File(System.getProperty("java.home"), "bin"), getJavaExec()).getAbsolutePath());
+                cmd.setExecutable(new File(new File(getJavaHome(), "bin"), getJavaExec()).getAbsolutePath());
                 // add additional JVM options
                 if (vmArgs != null) {
                     for (String arg : vmArgs) {
@@ -441,10 +453,12 @@ private String[] getCP() throws DependencyResolutionException {
             throw new RuntimeException(ex);
         }
         sb.append(File.pathSeparator);
+
+        String javaHome = getJavaHome();
         //don't forget tools.jar
-        File toolsJar = new File(System.getProperty("java.home"), "../lib/tools.jar");
+        File toolsJar = new File(javaHome, "../lib/tools.jar");
         if (!toolsJar.exists()) {
-            toolsJar = new File(System.getProperty("java.home"), "lib/tools.jar");
+            toolsJar = new File(javaHome, "lib/tools.jar");
         }
         if (toolsJar.exists()) {
             sb.append(toolsJar.getAbsolutePath());
@@ -458,6 +472,27 @@ private String[] getCP() throws DependencyResolutionException {
     private String getJavaExec() {
         return isWindows() ? "java.exe" : "java";
     }
+    
+    private String getJavaHome() {
+        String javaHome = System.getProperty("java.home");
+        if (getJdkToolchain() != null) {
+        	File javaExecutable = new File(getJdkToolchain().findTool("java"));
+        	javaHome = javaExecutable.getParentFile().getParent();
+        	getLog().info("got java home from maven toolchain: " + javaHome);
+        } 
+        else {
+        	getLog().info("couldnt get a javahome from maven toolchain, defaulting to the java.home System property : " + javaHome);
+        }
+        return javaHome;
+      }
+
+    private Toolchain getJdkToolchain() {
+        Toolchain tc = null;
+        if (this.toolchainManager != null) {
+        	tc = this.toolchainManager.getToolchainFromBuildContext("jdk", this.session); 
+        }
+        return tc;
+    }
 
     private File createPathFile(String cp) throws IOException {
         File f = File.createTempFile("jax-ws-mvn-plugin-cp", ".txt");