diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
index b5ca8ccc2..2c063aeb7 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/AntClassLoader.java
@@ -918,6 +918,8 @@ public class AntClassLoader extends ClassLoader implements SubBuildListener {
      *
      * <p>Would override getResources if that wasn't final in Java
      * 1.4.</p>
+     *
+     * @since Ant 1.8.0
      */
     public Enumeration/*<URL>*/ getNamedResources(String name)
         throws IOException {
@@ -1379,6 +1381,16 @@ public class AntClassLoader extends ClassLoader implements SubBuildListener {
         project = null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the parent as has been specified in the constructor or via
+     * setParent.
+     *
+     * @since Ant 1.8.0
+     */
+    public ClassLoader getConfiguredParent() {
+        return parent;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Empty implementation to satisfy the BuildListener interface.
      *