diff --git a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
index 6f63a3c..cb05d86 100644
--- a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/GeoServerRESTPublisher.java
@@ -400,8 +400,6 @@ public class GeoServerRESTPublisher {
      * @param mosaicDir the directory where the raster images are located
      * @return true if the operation completed successfully.
      * @throws FileNotFoundException
-     *
-     * @deprecated work in progress
      */
     public RESTCoverageStore configureExternaMosaicDatastore(String workspace, String storeName, File mosaicDir) throws FileNotFoundException {
         if (!mosaicDir.isDirectory()) {
@@ -432,8 +430,11 @@ public class GeoServerRESTPublisher {
     public RESTCoverageStore publishExternalMosaic(String workspace, String storeName, File mosaicDir, String srs, String defaultStyle) throws FileNotFoundException {
         GSCoverageEncoder coverageEncoder = new GSCoverageEncoder();
         coverageEncoder.setSRS(srs);
+
+        GSLayerEncoder layerEncoder = new GSLayerEncoder();
+        layerEncoder.setDefaultStyle(defaultStyle);
         
-        return publishExternalMosaic(workspace, storeName, mosaicDir, coverageEncoder, defaultStyle);
+        return publishExternalMosaic(workspace, storeName, mosaicDir, coverageEncoder, layerEncoder);
     }
             
     /**
@@ -446,15 +447,28 @@ public class GeoServerRESTPublisher {
      * @param workspace an existing workspace
      * @param storeName the name of the coverageStore to be created
      * @param mosaicDir the directory where the raster images are located
-     * @param coverageEncoder the set of parameters to be set to the coverage
-     * @param defaultStyle may be null
+     * @param coverageEncoder the set of parameters to be set to the coverage (bbox, srs, ...)
+     * @param layerEncoder  the set of parameters to be set to the layer (defaultstyle, wmspath, ...)
      * 
      * @return true if the operation completed successfully.
      * 
      * @throws FileNotFoundException
      */
-    public RESTCoverageStore publishExternalMosaic(String workspace, String storeName, File mosaicDir, GSCoverageEncoder coverageEncoder, String defaultStyle) throws FileNotFoundException {
+    public RESTCoverageStore publishExternalMosaic(String workspace, String storeName, File mosaicDir, GSCoverageEncoder coverageEncoder, GSLayerEncoder layerEncoder) throws FileNotFoundException {
         RESTCoverageStore store = configureExternaMosaicDatastore(workspace, storeName, mosaicDir);
+        
+        if(coverageEncoder == null ) {
+            if(LOGGER.isDebugEnabled())
+                LOGGER.debug("no coverageEncoder provided for " + workspace + ":" + storeName);
+            coverageEncoder = new GSCoverageEncoder();
+        }
+
+        if(layerEncoder == null ) {
+            if(LOGGER.isDebugEnabled())
+                LOGGER.debug("no layerEncoder provided for " + workspace + ":" + storeName);
+            layerEncoder = new GSLayerEncoder();
+        }
+        
         if (store != null ) {
             try {
 //              // retrieve coverage name
@@ -467,10 +481,6 @@ public class GeoServerRESTPublisher {
                 String coverageName = covList.get(0).getName();
                 
                 configureCoverage(coverageEncoder, workspace, storeName, coverageName);
-
-                // config layer props (style, ...)
-                GSLayerEncoder layerEncoder = new GSLayerEncoder();
-                layerEncoder.setDefaultStyle(defaultStyle);
                 configureLayer(layerEncoder, storeName);
 
             } catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSCoverageEncoder.java b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSCoverageEncoder.java
index 00fe6c4..aead2dd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSCoverageEncoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/GSCoverageEncoder.java
@@ -25,14 +25,39 @@
 
 package it.geosolutions.geoserver.rest.encoder;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import org.jdom.Element;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author ETj (etj at geo-solutions.it)
  */
 public class GSCoverageEncoder extends GSResourceEncoder {
 
+    private Map<String, String> metadata = new HashMap<String, String>();
+    
     public GSCoverageEncoder() {
         super("coverage");
         set("enabled", "true");
     }
+    
+    public void addMetadata(String key, String value) {
+        metadata.put(key, value);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void addNodesBeforeOutput(Element e) {
+        super.addNodesBeforeOutput(e);
+        
+        if( ! metadata.isEmpty() ) {
+            Element md = new Element("metadata");
+            for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : metadata.entrySet()) {
+                md.addContent("entry")
+                        .setAttribute("key", entry.getKey())
+                        .setText(entry.getValue());
+            }
+            e.addContent(md);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/PropertyXMLEncoder.java b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/PropertyXMLEncoder.java
index a17e655..fc869c6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/PropertyXMLEncoder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/it/geosolutions/geoserver/rest/encoder/PropertyXMLEncoder.java
@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@ public class PropertyXMLEncoder {
             add(layer, key, value);
         }
 
+        addNodesBeforeOutput(layer);
         return OUTPUTTER.outputString(layer);
     }
+
+    protected void addNodesBeforeOutput(Element e) {
+    
+    }
     
     private void add(Element e, String key, String value) {
         if( ! key.contains("/") ) {