diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8dd35bc1..6c096e85 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -249,6 +249,11 @@ Release branch can be merged with `--ff-only` option by setting `releaseMergeFFO
 
 Feature branch can be squashed before merging by setting `featureSquash` parameter to `true`. The default value is `false` (i.e. merge w/o squash will be performed).
 
+You can also specify the optional parameter `additionalMergeOptions` for goals with merge-operations. It takes an arbitrary string, that will be appended to the merge-command. This is useful when in need for advanced options like `-Xtheirs`.
+
+For the `gitflow:hotfix-finish` and `gitflow:release-finish` goals it is also possible to specify different merge-options for merging into master and development-branch:
+`productionBranchMergeOptions` and `devBranchMergeOptions`.
+
 ### Running custom Maven goals
 
 The `preReleaseGoals` parameter can be used in `gitflow:release-finish` and `gitflow:release` goals to run defined Maven goals before the release.
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
index d85c23e1..21109011 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/AbstractGitFlowMojo.java
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractGitFlowMojo extends AbstractMojo {
     @Parameter(defaultValue = "${settings}", readonly = true)
     protected Settings settings;
 
+    @Parameter(property = "additionalMergeOptions")
+    protected String additionalMergeOptions;
+
     /**
      * Initializes command line executables.
      * 
@@ -622,7 +625,7 @@ protected void gitCommit(String message, Map<String, String> messageProperties)
 
     /**
      * Executes git rebase or git merge --ff-only or git merge --no-ff or git merge.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param branchName
      *            Branch name to merge.
      * @param rebase
@@ -641,6 +644,31 @@ protected void gitCommit(String message, Map<String, String> messageProperties)
     protected void gitMerge(final String branchName, boolean rebase, boolean noff, boolean ffonly, String message,
             Map<String, String> messageProperties)
             throws MojoFailureException, CommandLineException {
+        gitMerge(branchName, rebase, noff, ffonly, message, messageProperties, additionalMergeOptions);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Executes git rebase or git merge --ff-only or git merge --no-ff or git merge.
+     * 
+     * @param branchName
+     *            Branch name to merge.
+     * @param rebase
+     *            Do rebase.
+     * @param noff
+     *            Merge with --no-ff.
+     * @param ffonly
+     *            Merge with --ff-only.
+     * @param message
+     *            Merge commit message.
+     * @param additionalMergeOptions
+     *            additional commandline options for the merge e.g. "-Xtheirs"
+     *
+     * @throws MojoFailureException
+     * @throws CommandLineException
+     */
+    protected void gitMerge(final String branchName, boolean rebase, boolean noff, boolean ffonly,
+                            final String message, Map<String, String> messageProperties, final String additionalMergeOptions)
+            throws MojoFailureException, CommandLineException {
         String sign = "";
         if (gpgSignCommit) {
             sign = "-S";
@@ -653,16 +681,16 @@ protected void gitMerge(final String branchName, boolean rebase, boolean noff, b
         }
         if (rebase) {
             getLog().info("Rebasing '" + branchName + "' branch.");
-            executeGitCommand("rebase", sign, branchName);
+            executeGitCommand("rebase", additionalMergeOptions, sign, branchName);
         } else if (ffonly) {
             getLog().info("Merging (--ff-only) '" + branchName + "' branch.");
-            executeGitCommand("merge", "--ff-only", sign, branchName);
+            executeGitCommand("merge", additionalMergeOptions, "--ff-only", sign, branchName);
         } else if (noff) {
             getLog().info("Merging (--no-ff) '" + branchName + "' branch.");
-            executeGitCommand("merge", "--no-ff", sign, branchName, msgParam, msg);
+            executeGitCommand("merge", additionalMergeOptions, "--no-ff", sign, branchName, msgParam, msg);
         } else {
             getLog().info("Merging '" + branchName + "' branch.");
-            executeGitCommand("merge", sign, branchName, msgParam, msg);
+            executeGitCommand("merge", additionalMergeOptions, sign, branchName, msgParam, msg);
         }
     }
 
@@ -676,7 +704,24 @@ protected void gitMerge(final String branchName, boolean rebase, boolean noff, b
      */
     protected void gitMergeNoff(final String branchName)
             throws MojoFailureException, CommandLineException {
-        gitMerge(branchName, false, true, false, null, null);
+        gitMergeNoff(branchName, additionalMergeOptions);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Executes git merge --no-ff.
+     *
+     * @param branchName
+     *            Branch name to merge.
+     *
+     * @param additionalMergeOptions
+     *            additional commandline options for the merge e.g. "-Xtheirs"
+     *
+     * @throws MojoFailureException
+     * @throws CommandLineException
+     */
+    protected void gitMergeNoff(final String branchName, final String additionalMergeOptions)
+            throws MojoFailureException, CommandLineException {
+        gitMerge(branchName, false, true, false, null, null, additionalMergeOptions);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowHotfixFinishMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowHotfixFinishMojo.java
index a9896a4f..07c1f43f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowHotfixFinishMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowHotfixFinishMojo.java
@@ -109,6 +109,12 @@ public class GitFlowHotfixFinishMojo extends AbstractGitFlowMojo {
     @Parameter(property = "skipMergeDevBranch", defaultValue = "false")
     private boolean skipMergeDevBranch = false;
 
+    @Parameter(property = "productionBranchMergeOptions")
+    private String productionBranchMergeOptions;
+
+    @Parameter(property = "devBranchMergeOptions")
+    private String devBranchMergeOptions;
+
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
     @Override
     public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
@@ -199,7 +205,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
             }
 
             // git merge --no-ff hotfix/...
-            gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName);
+            gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName, productionBranchMergeOptions);
 
             final String currentVersion = getCurrentProjectVersion();
 
@@ -243,7 +249,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
                     }
 
                     // git merge --no-ff hotfix/...
-                    gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName);
+                    gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName, devBranchMergeOptions);
 
                     if (!currentVersion.equals(releaseBranchVersion)) {
                         mvnSetVersions(releaseBranchVersion);
@@ -263,7 +269,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
                         gitCommit(commitMessages.getHotfixVersionUpdateMessage());
 
                         // git merge --no-ff hotfix/...
-                        gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName);
+                        gitMergeNoff(hotfixBranchName, devBranchMergeOptions);
 
                         // which version to increment
                         GitFlowVersionInfo hotfixVersionInfo = new GitFlowVersionInfo(
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
index d389a7d2..601d9494 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/amashchenko/maven/plugin/gitflow/GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo.java
@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ public class GitFlowReleaseFinishMojo extends AbstractGitFlowMojo {
     @Parameter(property = "useSnapshotInRelease", defaultValue = "false")
     private boolean useSnapshotInRelease;
 
+    @Parameter(property = "productionBranchMergeOptions")
+    private String productionBranchMergeOptions;
+
+    @Parameter(property = "devBranchMergeOptions")
+    private String devBranchMergeOptions;
+
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
     @Override
     public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
@@ -239,7 +245,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
             gitCheckout(gitFlowConfig.getProductionBranch());
 
             gitMerge(releaseBranch, releaseRebase, releaseMergeNoFF, releaseMergeFFOnly,
-                    commitMessages.getReleaseFinishMergeMessage(), messageProperties);
+                    commitMessages.getReleaseFinishMergeMessage(), messageProperties, productionBranchMergeOptions);
 
             // get current project version from pom
             final String currentVersion = getCurrentProjectVersion();
@@ -278,7 +284,7 @@ public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
                 }
 
                 // merge branch master into develop
-                gitMerge(releaseBranch, releaseRebase, releaseMergeNoFF, false, null, null);
+                gitMerge(releaseBranch, releaseRebase, releaseMergeNoFF, false, null, null, devBranchMergeOptions);
 
                 if (commitDevelopmentVersionAtStart && useSnapshotInRelease) {
                     // updating develop poms version back to pre merge state