diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 45bb2ace8..292a3cb2f 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -232,6 +232,10 @@ Fixed bugs:
  * <depend> didn't close JARs that were part of the classpath.
    Bugzilla Report 45955.
 
+ * in some cases <depend> would delete class files even if it didn't
+   find the corresponding source files.
+   Bugzilla Report 45916.
+
 Other changes:
 --------------
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/depend/Depend.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/depend/Depend.java
index 0a0f8dced..6262f8574 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/depend/Depend.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/optional/depend/Depend.java
@@ -451,8 +451,12 @@ public class Depend extends MatchingTask {
             ClassFileInfo classInfo
                 = (ClassFileInfo) classFileInfoMap.get(className);
             if (classInfo != null && classInfo.absoluteFile.exists()) {
+                if (classInfo.sourceFile == null) {
+                    warnOutOfDateButNotDeleted(classInfo, className, className);
+                } else {
                 classInfo.absoluteFile.delete();
                 count++;
+                }
             }
         }
         return count;
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/depend/depend-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/depend/depend-test.xml
index 7f2b1e55a..6812bf54a 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/depend/depend-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/depend/depend-test.xml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     <delete dir="${src1}"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="xtestBug45916">
+  <target name="testBug45916">
     <mkdir dir="${src1}"/>
     <mkdir dir="${output}"/>
     <mkdir dir="${src1}/a"/>