diff --git a/BUILD.txt b/BUILD.txt
index cb69a013014..3dcd1e210c1 100644
--- a/BUILD.txt
+++ b/BUILD.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ Lucene Build Instructions
 $Id$
 
 Basic steps:
-  0) Install JDK 1.3, Ant 1.4, and the Ant 1.4 optional.jar.
+  0) Install JDK 1.2 (or greater), Ant 1.4 (or greater), and the Ant
+     optional.jar.
   1) Download Lucene from Apache and unpack it.
   2) Connect to the top-level of your Lucene installation.
   3) Run ant.
@@ -54,10 +55,25 @@ uncompress it into a directory of your choice.
 
 Step 2) Connect to the top-level of your Lucene installation
 
-Lucene's top-level directory contains the build.properties and
-build.xml files.  You don't need to change any of the settings in
-these files, but you do need to run ant from this location so it knows
-where to find them.
+Lucene's top-level directory contains the default.properties and
+build.xml files. By default, you do not need to change any of the
+settings in these files, but you do need to run ant from this location
+so it knows where to find them.
+
+If you would like to change the settings in the default.properties there
+is no need to edit the default.properties file, you can override the
+property settings by creating one or more of the following files and
+placing your own property settings in there:
+
+    ~/lucene.build.properties
+    ~/build.properties
+    jakarta-lucene/build.properties
+
+The first property which is found in the order with which the files are
+loaded becomes the property setting which is used by the Ant build
+system.
+
+NOTE: the ~ character represents your user account home directory.
 
 Step 3) Run ant.
 
@@ -67,14 +83,15 @@ and command prompt should run ant.  Ant will by default look for the
 "build.xml" file in your current directory, and compile Lucene.
 
 For further information on Lucene, go to:
-  http://jakarta.apache.org/lucene
-
-Please join the Lucene-User mailing list by sending a message to:
-  lucene-user-subscribe@jakarta.apache.org
+  http://jakarta.apache.org/lucene/
 
+Please join the Lucene-User mailing list by visiting this site:
+  http://jakarta.apache.org/site/mail.html
+  
 Please post suggestions, questions, corrections or additions to this
-document to the lucene-user mailing list.
+document to the Lucene-User mailing list.
 
 This file was originally written by Steven J. Owens <puff@darksleep.com>.
+This file was modified by Jon S. Stevens <jon@latchkey.com>.
 
-Copyright (c) 2001 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights reserved.
+Copyright (c) 2001-2002 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights reserved.
diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index cbaa44456a3..118930a4840 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ $Id$
 
 1.2 RC5
 
- 1. ...
-
+ 1. Renamed build.properties to default.properties and updated
+    the BUILD.txt document to describe how to override the
+    default.property settings without having to edit the file. This
+    brings the build process closer to Scarab's build process.
+    (jon)
 
 1.2 RC4
 
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 0e7f5943563..7a338247fa2 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -2,69 +2,12 @@
 
 <project name="Lucene" default="jar" basedir=".">
 
-  <property file="${user.home}/build.properties"/>
-  <property file="build.properties"/>
-
-  <property name="name" value="lucene"/>
-  <property name="Name" value="Lucene"/>
-  <property name="version" value="1.2-rc5-dev"/>
-  <property name="year" value="2000-2002"/>
-  <property name="final.name" value="${name}-${version}"/>
-  <property name="debug" value="off"/>
-
-  <property name="project.name" value="site"/>
-  <property name="docs.src" value="./xdocs"/>
-  <property name="docs.dest" value="./docs"/>
-
-  <property name="src.dir" value="./src/java"/>
-  <property name="demo.src" value="./src/demo"/>
-  <property name="demo.jsp" value="./src/jsp"/>
-  <property name="test.src" value="./src/test"/>
-  <property name="anttask.src" value="./src/ant"/>
-  <property name="docs.dir" value="./docs"/>
-  <property name="lib.dir" value="./lib"/>
-  <property name="dist.dir" value="${final.name}"/>
-  <property name="dist-src.dir" value="${final.name}-src"/>
-
-  <!-- javadoc packages -->
-  <property name="packages" value="org.apache.lucene.*"/>
-
-  <property name="javadoc.link" value="http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.3/docs/api/"/>
-
-  <property name="build.compiler.pedantic" value="false"/>
-
-  <property name="build.dir" value="./bin"/>
-  <property name="build.classes" value="${build.dir}/classes"/>
-  <property name="build.lib" value="${build.dir}/lib"/>
-  <property name="build.javadocs" value="${build.dir}/docs/api"/>
-  <property name="build.src" value="${build.dir}/src"/>
-
-  <property name="build.demo" value="${build.dir}/demo"/>
-  <property name="build.demo.src" value="${build.demo}/src"/>
-  <property name="build.demo.classes" value="${build.demo}/classes"/>
-  <property name="build.demo.name" value="${name}-demos-${version}"/>
-  <property name="build.demo.war.name" value="luceneweb"/>
-
-  <property name="build.anttask" value="${build.dir}/anttask"/>
-  <property name="build.anttask.classes" value="${build.anttask}/classes"/>
-
-  <property name="build.docweb" value="${build.dir}/docweb"/>
-  <property name="build.docweb.war.name" value="lucenedocweb"/>
-
-  <property name="build.test" value="${build.dir}/test"/>
-  <property name="build.test.src" value="${build.test}/src"/>
-  <property name="build.test.classes" value="${build.test}/classes"/>
-
-  <property name="junit.src" value="${basedir}/src/test"/>
-  <property name="junit.classes" value="${build.dir}/unit-classes"/>
-  <property name="junit.reports" value="${build.dir}/unit-reports"/>
-
-  <property name="javacc.home" value="."/>
-  <property name="javacc.zip.dir" value="${javacc.home}/lib"/>
-  <property name="javacc.zip" value="${javacc.zip.dir}/JavaCC.zip"/>
-
-  <property name="jakarta.site2.home" value="../jakarta-site2"/>
-
+    <!-- Give user a chance to override without editing this file
+        (and without typing -D each time it compiles it -->
+  <property file="${user.home}/lucene.build.properties" /> 
+  <property file="${user.home}/build.properties" />
+  <property file="${basedir}/build.properties" />
+  <property file="${basedir}/default.properties" />
 
   <!-- Build classpath -->
   <path id="classpath">
diff --git a/default.properties b/default.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dba8c1ca3cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/default.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
+# L U C E N E  B U I L D  P R O P E R T I E S
+# ---------------------------------------------------------
+name=lucene
+Name=Lucene
+version=1.2-rc5-dev
+year=2000-2001
+final.name=${name}-${version}
+debug=off
+
+project.name = site
+docs.src =  ./xdocs
+docs.dest = ./docs
+
+src.dir = ./src/java
+demo.src = ./src/demo
+demo.jsp = ./src/jsp
+test.src = ./src/test
+docs.dir = ./docs
+lib.dir = ./lib
+dist.dir=${final.name}
+dist-src.dir = ${final.name}-src
+
+# javadoc packages
+packages=org.apache.lucene.*
+
+# javadoc link
+javadoc.link=http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.3/docs/api/
+
+build.compiler.pedantic=false
+
+build.dir = ./bin
+build.classes = ${build.dir}/classes
+build.lib = ${build.dir}/lib
+build.javadocs = ${build.dir}/docs/api
+build.src = ${build.dir}/src
+
+build.demo = ${build.dir}/demo
+build.demo.src = ${build.demo}/src
+build.demo.classes = ${build.demo}/classes
+build.demo.name = ${name}-demos-${version}
+build.war.name = luceneweb
+
+build.anttask = ${build.dir}/anttask
+build.anttask.classes = ${build.anttask}/classes
+
+build.docweb = ${build.dir}/docweb
+build.docweb.war.name = lucenedocweb
+
+build.test = ${build.dir}/test
+build.test.src = ${build.test}/src
+build.test.classes = ${build.test}/classes
+
+junit.src = ${basedir}/src/test
+junit.classes = ${build.dir}/unit-classes
+junit.reports = ${build.dir}/unit-reports
+
+# Home directory of JavaCC
+javacc.home = .
+javacc.zip.dir = ${javacc.home}/lib
+javacc.zip = ${javacc.zip.dir}/JavaCC.zip
+
+# Home directory of jakarta-site2
+jakarta.site2.home = ../jakarta-site2