diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 52e5e1288..4198302db 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ Other changes:
   which will allow nonexistent files specified via <filelist>s to
   be passed to the executable.  Bugzilla Report 29585.
 
+* <fail> has a status attribute that can be used to pass an exit
+  status back to the command line.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.6.1 to current Ant 1.6 CVS version
 =====================================================
 
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/fail.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/fail.html
index 7801fe7f4..5ac9994c6 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/fail.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/fail.html
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ or character data nested into the element.</p>
       exist in the current project</td>
     <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
   </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">status</td>
+    <td valign="top">Exit using the specified status code;
+      assuming the generated Exception is not caught, the
+      JVM will exit with this status. <em>Since Ant 1.7</em></td>
+    <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
+  </tr>
 </table>
 
 <h3>Parameters specified as nested elements</h3>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ExitStatusException.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ExitStatusException.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cfc28be82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/ExitStatusException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2004 The Apache Software Foundation
+ *
+ *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *  limitations under the License.
+ *
+ */
+package org.apache.tools.ant;
+
+/**
+ * BuildException + exit status.
+ *
+ * @since Ant 1.7
+ */
+public class ExitStatusException extends BuildException {
+
+    /** Status code */
+    private int status;
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs an <CODE>ExitStatusException</CODE>.
+     * @param status the associated status code
+     */
+    public ExitStatusException(int status) {
+        super();
+        this.status = status;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Constructs an exit exception.
+     * @param msg the associated message
+     * @param status the associated status code
+     */
+    public ExitStatusException(String msg, int status) {
+        super(msg);
+        this.status = status;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the status code
+     *
+     * @return <CODE>int</CODE>
+     */
+    public int getStatus() {
+        return status;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
index 6dd940dd7..05b19440c 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/Main.java
@@ -184,8 +184,15 @@ public class Main implements AntMain {
         // expect the worst
         int exitCode = 1;
         try {
-            runBuild(coreLoader);
-            exitCode = 0;
+            try {
+                runBuild(coreLoader);
+                exitCode = 0;
+            } catch (ExitStatusException ese) {
+                exitCode = ese.getStatus();
+                if (exitCode > 0) {
+                    throw ese;
+                }
+            }
         } catch (BuildException be) {
             if (err != System.err) {
                 printMessage(be);
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Exit.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Exit.java
index 8d339d41f..731750c08 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Exit.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Exit.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs;
 
 import org.apache.tools.ant.Task;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.BuildException;
+import org.apache.tools.ant.ExitStatusException;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.condition.Condition;
 import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.condition.ConditionBase;
 
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ public class Exit extends Task {
     private String message;
     private String ifCondition, unlessCondition;
     private NestedCondition nestedCondition;
+    private Integer status;
 
     /**
      * A message giving further information on why the build exited.
@@ -85,6 +87,14 @@ public class Exit extends Task {
         unlessCondition = c;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the status code to associate with the thrown Exception.
+     * @param i   the <CODE>int</CODE> status
+     */
+    public void setStatus(int i) {
+        status = new Integer(i);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Throw a <CODE>BuildException</CODE> to exit (fail) the build.
      * If specified, evaluate conditions:
@@ -126,7 +136,8 @@ public class Exit extends Task {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            throw new BuildException(text);
+            throw ((status == null) ? new BuildException(text)
+             : new ExitStatusException(text, status.intValue()));
         }
     }