diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index a2ec67fc7..be8a8829f 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -2336,6 +2336,11 @@ inclusion/exclusion of files works, and how to write patterns.</p>
     <td valign="top">location of installed extensions.</td>
     <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
   </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">encoding</td>
+    <td valign="top">encoding of source files.</td>
+    <td align="center" valign="top">No</td>
+  </tr>
   <tr>
     <td valign="top">debug</td>
     <td valign="top">indicates whether there should be compiled with debug
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javac.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javac.java
index 98c7cfb04..8388435a8 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javac.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Javac.java
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ import java.util.*;
  * <li>extdirs
  * <li>optimize
  * <li>debug
+ * <li>encoding
  * <li>target
  * </ul>
  * Of these arguments, the <b>sourcedir</b> and <b>destdir</b> are required.
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public class Javac extends MatchingTask {
     private Path src;
     private File destDir;
     private Path compileClasspath;
+    private String encoding;
     private Vector classpathReferences = new Vector();
     private boolean debug = false;
     private boolean optimize = false;
@@ -248,6 +250,13 @@ public class Javac extends MatchingTask {
         this.deprecation = deprecation;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the Java source file encoding name.
+     */
+    public void setEncoding(String encoding) {
+        this.encoding = encoding;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Set the debug flag.
      */
@@ -515,6 +524,10 @@ public class Javac extends MatchingTask {
                 cmd.createArgument().setValue(target);
             }
         }
+        if (encoding != null) {
+            cmd.createArgument().setValue("-encoding");
+            cmd.createArgument().setValue(encoding);
+        }
         if (debug) {
             cmd.createArgument().setValue("-g");
         }
@@ -608,6 +621,10 @@ public class Javac extends MatchingTask {
         cmd.createArgument().setValue("-classpath");
         cmd.createArgument().setPath(classpath);
 
+        if (encoding != null) {
+            cmd.createArgument().setValue("-encoding");
+            cmd.createArgument().setValue(encoding);
+        }
         if (debug) {
             cmd.createArgument().setValue("-g");
         }