diff --git a/scripts/_GrailsCreateArtifacts.groovy b/scripts/_GrailsCreateArtifacts.groovy
index 015f910541c..e4a51b1b1c0 100644
--- a/scripts/_GrailsCreateArtifacts.groovy
+++ b/scripts/_GrailsCreateArtifacts.groovy
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import grails.util.GrailsNameUtils
  * @author Peter Ledbrook
  */
 
+includeTargets << grailsScript("_GrailsPackage")
+
 createArtifact = { Map args = [:] ->
     def suffix = args["suffix"]
     def type = args["type"]
@@ -37,25 +39,23 @@ createArtifact = { Map args = [:] ->
     if (pos != -1) {
         pkg = name[0..<pos]
         name = name[(pos + 1)..-1]
+        if(pkg.startsWith("~")) {
+        	pkg = pkg.replace("~", createRootPackage())
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+    	pkg = createRootPackage()
     }
 
     // Convert the package into a file path.
-    def pkgPath = ''
-    if (pkg) {
-        pkgPath = pkg.replace('.' as char, '/' as char)
+    def pkgPath = pkg.replace('.' as char, '/' as char)
 
-        // Make sure that the package path exists! Otherwise we won't
-        // be able to create a file there.
-        ant.mkdir(dir: "${basedir}/${artifactPath}/${pkgPath}")
+    // Make sure that the package path exists! Otherwise we won't
+    // be able to create a file there.
+    ant.mkdir(dir: "${basedir}/${artifactPath}/${pkgPath}")
 
-        // Future use of 'pkgPath' requires a trailing slash.
-        pkgPath += '/'
-    }
-    else if(!args.skipPackagePrompt && isInteractive) {
-        if(!confirmInput("WARNING: You have not specified a package. It is good practise to place classes in packages (eg. mycompany.Book). Do you want to continue?", "no.package.warning")) {
-            exit(1)
-        }
-    }
+    // Future use of 'pkgPath' requires a trailing slash.
+    pkgPath += '/'
 
     // Convert the given name into class name and property name
     // representations.
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ createArtifact = { Map args = [:] ->
     event("CreatedArtefact", [ type, className])
 }
 
+private createRootPackage() {
+	compile()
+	createConfig()
+	return (config.grails.project.groupId ?: grailsAppName).replace('-','.').toLowerCase()	
+}
 createIntegrationTest = { Map args = [:] ->
     def superClass = args["superClass"] ?: "GrailsUnitTestCase"
 	createArtifact(name: args["name"], suffix: "${args['suffix']}Tests", type: "Tests", path: "test/integration", superClass: superClass)
diff --git a/scripts/_GrailsPackage.groovy b/scripts/_GrailsPackage.groovy
index 178e3e0addd..f1bdfde9b44 100644
--- a/scripts/_GrailsPackage.groovy
+++ b/scripts/_GrailsPackage.groovy
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ import grails.util.PluginBuildSettings
  * @since 0.4
  */
 
+if (getBinding().variables.containsKey("_grails_package_called")) return
+_grails_package_called = true
+
+
 includeTargets << grailsScript("_GrailsCompile")
 includeTargets << grailsScript("_PackagePlugins")
 
diff --git a/scripts/_PluginDependencies.groovy b/scripts/_PluginDependencies.groovy
index 6b07389fac4..14c17504894 100644
--- a/scripts/_PluginDependencies.groovy
+++ b/scripts/_PluginDependencies.groovy
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ import org.codehaus.groovy.grails.commons.ApplicationHolder
  *
  * @since 1.1
  */
+if (getBinding().variables.containsKey("_plugin_dependencies_called")) return
+_plugin_dependencies_called = true
+
 
 includeTargets << grailsScript("_GrailsClean")
 includeTargets << grailsScript("_GrailsArgParsing")
diff --git a/src/grails/grails-app/conf/Config.groovy b/src/grails/grails-app/conf/Config.groovy
index 579ddc12efa..cd6b6eb61cf 100644
--- a/src/grails/grails-app/conf/Config.groovy
+++ b/src/grails/grails-app/conf/Config.groovy
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 // if(System.properties["${appName}.config.location"]) {
 //    grails.config.locations << "file:" + System.properties["${appName}.config.location"]
 // }
+
+grails.project.groupId = appName // change this to alter the default package name and Maven publishing destination
 grails.mime.file.extensions = true // enables the parsing of file extensions from URLs into the request format
 grails.mime.use.accept.header = false
 grails.mime.types = [ html: ['text/html','application/xhtml+xml'],