diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9598700576ddb6ec7dc6c689a561ecb59af0931d..8c9cc60100010561077f9dcd966608071f41fb1a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@ It is bound to the `test` stage, and uses the following variables:
 | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
 | `SONAR_SCANNER_IMAGE`    | The Docker image used to run [sonar-scanner](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/scan/sonarscanner/) | `sonarsource/sonar-scanner-cli:latest` |
 | `SONAR_HOST_URL`         | SonarQube server url            | _none_ (disabled) |
+| `SONAR_PROJECT_KEY`      | SonarQube Project Key (might also be set in the `sonar-project.properties` file) | fallbacks to `$CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG` (see below) |
+| `SONAR_PROJECT_NAME`     | SonarQube Project Name (might also be set in the `sonar-project.properties` file) | fallbacks to `$CI_PROJECT_PATH` (see below) |
 | :lock: `SONAR_TOKEN`     | SonarQube authentication [token](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/user-guide/user-token/) (depends on your authentication method) | _none_ |
 | :lock: `SONAR_LOGIN`     | SonarQube login (depends on your authentication method)                | _none_ |
 | :lock: `SONAR_PASSWORD`  | SonarQube password (depends on your authentication method)             | _none_ |
-| `SONAR_BASE_ARGS`        | SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/) | `-Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues` |
+| `SONAR_BASE_ARGS`        | SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/) | `-Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues` |
 | :lock: `SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN` | GitLab [access token](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/profile/personal_access_tokens.html) with `api` scope. When set, activates the [Sonar GitLab plugin](https://github.com/gabrie-allaigre/sonar-gitlab-plugin/#plugins-properties) integration. | _none_ |
 | `SONAR_BRANCH_ANALYSIS_DISABLED` | Set to `true` to disable automatic [Pull Request Analysis](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/pull-request/) and [Branch Analysis](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/branches/overview/)  | _none_ (enabled) |
 | `SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS`      | Extra arguments to use with [Sonar GitLab plugin](https://github.com/gabrie-allaigre/sonar-gitlab-plugin/#plugins-properties) | `-Dsonar.gitlab.url=${CI_SERVER_URL} -Dsonar.gitlab.user_token=${SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN} -Dsonar.gitlab.project_id=${CI_PROJECT_ID} -Dsonar.gitlab.commit_sha=${CI_COMMIT_SHA} -Dsonar.gitlab.ref_name=${CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME}` |
@@ -64,8 +66,13 @@ It will then simply append the `SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS` (overridable) to the SonarQub
 
 Comments added to GitLab will appear as owned by the user associated to the GitLab [access token](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/profile/personal_access_tokens.html).
 
-### How should I configure other SonarQube arguments ?
+### Configuring SonarQube project key, project name and other parameters
 
-The simplest and recommended way to configure other SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/)
-(and even [language specific args](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/languages/overview/)) is to use a
-`sonar-project.properties` file at the root of your repository.
+You shall define your SonarQube project key and project name in a `sonar-project.properties` file located at the root of your repository (as respectively `sonar.projectKey` and `sonar.projectName` entries), although they might alternately be set as `$SONAR_PROJECT_KEY` and `$SONAR_PROJECT_NAME` variables.
+
+Note that when not explictly set, the template will use `$CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG` and `$CI_PROJECT_PATH` as fallback project key and project name.
+
+The `sonar-project.properties` file is also the recommended way to configure other SonarQube [analysis parameters](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/)
+as well as [language specific parameters](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/languages/overview/).
+
+Each _to-be-continuous_ build template shall briefly document the supported language-specific SonarQube parameters.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/kicker.json b/kicker.json
index 22f59322b5c30c7b25ede1be083e31859e91b8c7..94666c8f1e84b147e7dcbfe0bb445f75b2c6ea54 100644
--- a/kicker.json
+++ b/kicker.json
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@
       "description": "SonarQube server url",
       "mandatory": true
     },
+    {
+      "name": "SONAR_PROJECT_KEY",
+      "description": "SonarQube Project Key (might also be set in the `sonar-project.properties` file)",
+      "advanced": true
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "SONAR_PROJECT_NAME",
+      "description": "SonarQube Project Name (might also be set in the `sonar-project.properties` file)",
+      "advanced": true
+    },    
     {
       "name": "SONAR_TOKEN",
       "description": "SonarQube authentication [token](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/user-guide/user-token/) (depends on your authentication method)",
@@ -33,7 +43,7 @@
     {
       "name": "SONAR_BASE_ARGS",
       "description": "SonarQube [analysis arguments](https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/)",
-      "default": "-Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG} -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH} -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=. -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues",
+      "default": "-Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL} -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues",
       "advanced": true
     },
     {
diff --git a/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml b/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
index fdcf668234f981668b55d4b1e4f8eab38de6a731..77e34dad01db54c4b11700fd965d994922b78ad6 100644
--- a/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
+++ b/templates/gitlab-ci-sonar.yml
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ variables:
   # see: https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/analysis/analysis-parameters/
   # default uses branch analysis: https://docs.sonarqube.org/latest/branches/overview/
   SONAR_BASE_ARGS: >-
-    -Dsonar.projectKey=${CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG}
-    -Dsonar.projectName=${CI_PROJECT_PATH}
-    -Dsonar.projectBaseDir=.
     -Dsonar.links.homepage=${CI_PROJECT_URL}
     -Dsonar.links.ci=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/pipelines
     -Dsonar.links.issue=${CI_PROJECT_URL}/-/issues
@@ -296,6 +293,13 @@ stages:
     fi
   }
 
+  # determines whether the given SonarQube param is defined 
+  # either in the sonar-project.properties or in the $SONAR_BASE_ARGS variable
+  function has_sonar_param() {
+    sonar_param="$1"
+    grep -e "^sonar\.${sonar_param}[ \t]*[:=]" sonar-project.properties > /dev/null || echo "$SONAR_BASE_ARGS" | grep -e "-Dsonar\.${sonar_param}=" > /dev/null
+  }
+
   unscope_variables
 
   # ENDSCRIPT
@@ -323,20 +327,40 @@ sonar:
     - eval_java_proxy_args
   script:
     - sonar_autodetect_mr
-    - if [[ "$SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN" ]]; then sonar_extra_args=$SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS; fi
+    - |
+      if [[ -z "$SONAR_PROJECT_KEY" ]] && ! has_sonar_param projectKey
+      then
+        log_info "No Sonar Project Key explicitly set: use default \\e[33;1m$CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG\\e[0m"
+        log_info "If you want another value, either set the 'sonar.projectKey' entry in your sonar-project.properties, or set it as \$SONAR_PROJECT_KEY"
+        export SONAR_PROJECT_KEY="$CI_PROJECT_PATH_SLUG"
+      fi
+    - |
+      if [[ -z "$SONAR_PROJECT_NAME" ]] && ! has_sonar_param projectName
+      then
+        log_info "No Sonar Project Name explicitly set: use default \\e[33;1m$CI_PROJECT_PATH\\e[0m"
+        log_info "If you want another value, either set the 'sonar.projectName' entry in your sonar-project.properties, or set it as \$SONAR_PROJECT_NAME"
+        export SONAR_PROJECT_NAME="$CI_PROJECT_PATH"
+      fi
     - |
       if [[ "$SONAR_URL" ]] && [[ -z "$SONAR_HOST_URL" ]]
       then 
-        log_warn '$SONAR_URL variable defined: use $SONAR_HOST_URL instead (see doc)'
+        log_warn '$SONAR_URL variable detected: use $SONAR_HOST_URL instead (see doc)'
         export SONAR_HOST_URL="$SONAR_URL"
       fi
     - |
       if [[ "$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN" ]] && [[ -z "$SONAR_TOKEN" ]]
       then 
-        log_warn '$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN variable defined: use $SONAR_TOKEN instead (see doc)'
+        log_warn '$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN variable detected: use $SONAR_TOKEN instead (see doc)'
         export SONAR_TOKEN="$SONAR_AUTH_TOKEN"
       fi
-    - sonar-scanner ${TRACE+-Dsonar.verbose=true} $java_proxy_args ${SONAR_LOGIN+-Dsonar.login=$SONAR_LOGIN} ${SONAR_PASSWORD+-Dsonar.password=$SONAR_PASSWORD} $SONAR_BASE_ARGS $sonar_extra_args $sonar_mr_args
+    - >-
+      sonar-scanner ${TRACE+-Dsonar.verbose=true} $java_proxy_args 
+      ${SONAR_LOGIN+-Dsonar.login=$SONAR_LOGIN} 
+      ${SONAR_PASSWORD+-Dsonar.password=$SONAR_PASSWORD} 
+      ${SONAR_PROJECT_KEY+-Dsonar.projectKey=$SONAR_PROJECT_KEY} 
+      ${SONAR_PROJECT_NAME+-Dsonar.projectName=$SONAR_PROJECT_NAME} 
+      ${SONAR_GITLAB_TOKEN+$SONAR_GITLAB_ARGS} 
+      $SONAR_BASE_ARGS $sonar_mr_args
   rules:
     - !reference [.test-policy, rules]