diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5fbc110c..a17c04e3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ target
 .settings/
 .project
 .classpath
+.idea
diff --git a/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh b/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch
similarity index 67%
rename from etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh
rename to etc/scripts/new-issue-branch
index 6bc1bde0..323dcc51 100755
--- a/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch.sh
+++ b/etc/scripts/new-issue-branch
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@
 #
 # This script creates a new local issue branch for the given issue id.
 # Previous changes are stashed before the issue branch is created and are reapplied after branch creation.
-# 
-# executing new-issue-branch.sh DATACMNS-42 
+#
+# executing new-issue-branch.sh DATACMNS-42
 # will create a new (local) branch issue/DATACMNS-42
+USAGE="$0 <ticket_id>"
+if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then echo -e "ERROR: ticket_id required. \n$USAGE" >&2; exit 1; fi
+if [ $# -gt 1 ]; then echo -e "ERROR: One argument maximum.\n$USAGE" >&2; exit 1; fi
 
 TICKET_ID=${1:?"TICKET_ID Parameter is missing!"}
-OLD_VERSION_TMP=$(mvn -o org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-help-plugin:2.1.1:evaluate -Dexpression=project.version | grep -Ev '^\[.*')
+
+OLD_VERSION_TMP=$(mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-help-plugin:2.1.1:evaluate -Dexpression=project.version | grep -Ev '^\[.*')
 
 OLD_POM_VERSION=${OLD_VERSION_TMP:?"Could not extract current project version from pom.xml"}
 
@@ -19,7 +23,7 @@ echo "Creating feature branch $TICKET_ID: $OLD_POM_VERSION -> $NEW_POM_VERSION"
 
 echo "Stashing potential intermediate changes..." && git stash\
 && git checkout -b $ISSUE_BRANCH\
-&& mvn -o -q versions:set -DgenerateBackupPoms=false -DnewVersion=$NEW_POM_VERSION\
+&& $(mvn $MAVEN_FLAGS -q versions:set -DgenerateBackupPoms=false -DnewVersion=$NEW_POM_VERSION)\
 && ( \
       (\
          git commit -am "$TICKET_ID - Prepare branch"\