diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index f1de02aa0..3af7e7797 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -281,6 +281,10 @@ Other changes:
   This was confusing so the definitions are now treated as similar.
   Bugzilla Report 31215.
 
+* <javadoc> has a new attribute "includenosourcepackages" that can be
+  used to document packages that don't hold source files but a
+  package.html file.  Bugzilla Report 25339.
+
 Fixed bugs:
 -----------
 
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/javadoc.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/javadoc.html
index f4135edbc..466bb02b4 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/javadoc.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/javadoc.html
@@ -433,6 +433,14 @@ means any VM of at least version 1.2.</p>
     <td align="center" valign="top">1.4+</td>
     <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
   </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">includenosourcepackages</td>
+    <td valign="top">If set to true, packages that don't contain Java
+      source but a package.html will get documented as well.
+      <em>since Ant 1.6.3</em>.</td>
+    <td align="center" valign="top">all</td>
+    <td align="center" valign="top">No (default is <code>false</code>)</td>
+  </tr>
 </table>
 
 <h4><a name="groupattribute">Format of the group attribute</a></h4>
@@ -465,8 +473,9 @@ the nested <code>&lt;packageset&gt;</code> elements.</p>
 
 <p>A <a href="../CoreTypes/fileset.html">FileSet</a>.  All matched
 files will be passed to javadoc as source files.  Ant will
-automatically add the include pattern <code>**/*.java</code> to these
-filesets.</p>
+automatically add the include pattern <code>**/*.java</code> (and
+<code>**/package.html</code> if inncludenosourcepackages is true) to
+these filesets.</p>
 
 <p>Nested filesets can be used to document sources that are in the
 default package or if you want to exclude certain files from
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
index ae13f67b3..856e809b0 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javadoc.java
@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
     private boolean linksource = false;
     private boolean breakiterator = false;
     private String noqualifier;
+    private boolean includeNoSourcePackages = false;
 
     private Vector fileSets = new Vector();
     private Vector packageSets = new Vector();
@@ -1623,6 +1624,15 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
         this.noqualifier = noqualifier;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * If set to true, Ant will also accept packages that only hold
+     * package.html files but no Java sources.
+     * @since Ant 1.6.3
+     */
+    public void setIncludeNoSourcePackages(boolean b) {
+        this.includeNoSourcePackages = b;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Execute the task.
      * @throws BuildException on error
@@ -2080,6 +2090,9 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
             if (!fs.hasPatterns() && !fs.hasSelectors()) {
                 fs = (FileSet) fs.clone();
                 fs.createInclude().setName("**/*.java");
+                if (includeNoSourcePackages) {
+                    fs.createInclude().setName("**/package.html");
+                }
             }
             File baseDir = fs.getDir(getProject());
             DirectoryScanner ds = fs.getDirectoryScanner(getProject());
@@ -2152,10 +2165,9 @@ public class Javadoc extends Task {
                 File pd = new File(baseDir, dirs[i]);
                 String[] files = pd.list(new FilenameFilter () {
                         public boolean accept(File dir1, String name) {
-                            if (name.endsWith(".java")) {
-                                return true;
-                            }
-                            return false;        // ignore dirs
+                            return name.endsWith(".java")
+                                || (includeNoSourcePackages 
+                                    && name.equals("package.html"));
                         }
                     });